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Native Plant Database

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Oxytropis lambertii (Purple locoweed)
Tinstman, Lela Jane

Oxytropis lambertii Pursh

Purple locoweed

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

USDA Symbol: oxla3

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A tufted plant, usually covered with silvery hairs, with dense racemes of bright reddish-lavender pea flowers held just above the basal leaves by long stalks.

The single feature that distinguishes Purple Locoweed from other American Oxytropis species is the hairs attached by their middle to a short stalk forming a miniature teeter-totter, a feature seen only with a lens and even then sometimes escaping notice.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Gray-Green
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , IA , KS , MN , MO , MT , ND , NE , NM , OK , SD , TX , UT , WY
Canada: SK
Native Distribution: On the Great Plains from Canada to Texas; west to the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming; through the mountains to central Utah and Arizona.
Native Habitat: Plains and open areas in pine forests.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Oxytropis lambertii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Oxytropis lambertii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Oxytropis lambertii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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