Shrub · Sonoran native
Bush dalea
Dalea pulchra · Fabaceae
Also called: Indigo bush, Santa Catalina prairie clover, Pea bush
Bush dalea (Dalea pulchra) is a low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 3-5 ft H x 4-6 ft W in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Bush dalea at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 3-5 ft H x 4-6 ft W
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Purple to rosy-lavender pea-like flowers contrasted against silvery gray-green foliage., Winter into early spring (typically January-March), a valuable cool-season bloomer.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15 F (USDA zones 8-11); cold hardy in the low desert.
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; thrives in rocky, sandy, gravelly, and alkaline desert soils. Dislikes heavy, wet soils.
- Native range
- Native to southern Arizona and northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua); found in the Sonoran and edge of the Chihuahuan Desert.
- Best used as
- Winter/early-spring color, Informal mounding accent or low screen, Pollinator garden, Slope and revegetation plantings, Xeriscape and native gardens
- Wildlife
- Flowers are an important late-winter nectar/pollen source for native bees and butterflies; provides cover for small wildlife.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic / not known to be poisonous.
How to grow Bush dalea in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Water established plants deeply every 2-4 weeks in the warm season; very drought-tolerant and survives on rainfall once established. Overwatering causes legginess and shortens its life.
Fertilizer & nutrients
No fertilizer needed; a nitrogen-fixing legume well adapted to lean desert soils.
Pruning & care
Lightly shear or tip-prune immediately after spring bloom to maintain a dense mound; avoid hard shearing into the bare interior, which it does not regenerate well. Do not prune in fall (removes flower buds).
Notes
Prized as one of the few shrubs flowering in the depths of winter, with fine silvery foliage that looks good year-round. The most upright/shrubby of the desert daleas (contrast with prostrate D. greggii groundcover). Best kept on the dry side.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul