Trailing Dalea (Dalea greggii)

   
 

Trailing Dalea as a groundcover and closeup of flowers. Photographs by Wynn Anderson.

• Common English Names: Trailing Dalea, Prostrate Dalea, Trailing Indigo Bush, Trailing Smoke Bush, Gregg's Dalea
• Common Spanish Names:
• Scientific Name: Dalea greggii (DAY-lee-uh GREG-ee-eye)
• Family: Fabaceae-Papilioniodeae (Pea Family)
• Geographic Range: Rocky limestone hillsides in western Texas, southeastern New Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
• Plant Form: Perennial sub-shrub, 1 to 2' H x 6' W.
• Remarks: Numerous long, trailing, ground-covering stems from a woody base will root at the nodes to form a tight, low mounding colony with evergreen gray-green compound leaves and spikes of small rose-lavender to purple flowers in early spring through summer. Low water, full sun to light part shade, well draining soil. Foliage hardy to 15°, root hardy below that. Good, fast growing, soil stabilizing groundcover, very drought tolerant once established.

Last Update: 17 Apr 2006