Purple Locoweed

Oxytropis lambertii Pursh - Pea family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 17 inches

Plant Type: Forb/herb

Root Depth: 10 inches

Growth Form: Single Crown

Growth Rate: Moderate

Features

Flower Color: Red

Conspicuous Flowers: Yes

Bloom Time: Mid Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring and Summer

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: No

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Medium

Flood Tolerance: None

Fire Tolerance: Low

Salt Tolerance: Low

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Native Bees; Bombus; Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Species depending on Purple Locoweed: Colias alexandra alexandra, Cupido amyntula, Glaucopsyche lygdamus, Phaneta offectalis

Native Range

  • USA:  Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
  • CAN:  British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.