Dalea pinnata var. pinnata
(Summer Farewell)
Common Name, Latin Name, and Family
Common names include summer farewell and eastern prairie-clover.
Its Latin name is Dalea pinnata var. pinnata.
It is found in the Fabaceae, or pea, family.
Form
A perennial wildflower that grows to a height of about three feet.
Leaves
Summer farewell leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, and linear in shape.
They are thin and wispy and look similar to dill.
Flowers
White flowers appear in the summer and fall.
Fruit / Seeds
Once the flowers are pollinated the seeds start to form and the seed heads begin to turn a deep, dark, brown.
The seed heads have fluffy pappuses, the feathery bit at the end of the seed, that give the plant an appearance of shards of ice.
Habitat
Summer farewell occurs naturally in dry flatwoods, pine stands, sandhills and Florida scrub.
Native Range
It is found naturally occurring Florida from the panhandle south to Martin County.
Native to the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY.
Landscape Use
In the home landscape it grows in part shade to full sun with average moisture.
It does well as a specimen plant or mixed in with other wildflowers.
Wildlife Use
Bees, beetles, flies, and butterflies use the flowers as a nectar source.
Songbirds and quail eat the seeds.
Summer farewell is a larval host plant for the southern dogface butterfly.
Propagation
It can be grown from seeds or transplants.
Seeds need 2-3 months of cold stratification and may take some patience to get to germinate.
Small specimens transplant pretty well if you remove the flowers and seed heads. Keep it watered until you see new growth appear.