Dalea purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known as purple prairie clover.

It blooms in the summer with dense spikes of bright purple flowers that attract many species of insects.

The inflorescence atop each stem branch is a spike up to 7 cm (2+3⁄4 in) long containing many purple flowers.

On midgrass prairie it grows alongside several grasses such as silver bluestem (Bothriochloa saccharoides), purple threeawn (Aristida purpurea), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus).

[8] The nectar and pollen of Dalea purpurea attract many bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, and skippers.

Several plasterer bees (genus Colletes) are specialist pollinators of Dalea species, and other insects eat the seeds and leaves.

Though it is often found in mid- to late-successional stages of ecological succession, it may also be a pioneer species, taking hold in bare and disturbed habitat, such as roadsides.