Purple prairie clover (PPC, Dalea purpurea Vent.) is a forage that contains high levels of phenolics including condensed tannins (CT) and exhibits anti- Escherichia coli O157: H7 activity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of forage conservation method on the CT content, ruminal and intestinal digestion characteristics of PPC. Whole PPC was harvested at the full flower stage and either immediately freeze-dried to represent green chop (FG), ensiled in mini-silos for 45 d (Silage), or sun cured in the field to DM >85%, baled and stored under shed for 45 d (Hay). In situ DM, NDF and CP degradabilities were determined by incubating the conserved forage in 3 rumen cannulated heifers for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h, and analyzing data for Degradability = a + b (1 − e^−c(t−L)) and effective degradability (ED) = a + [bc/(c + k)] e^−(c+k)L. Intestinal DM and CP digestion were estimated by incubating 12-h ruminal in situ residues in a modified 3-step in vitro procedure. Silage exhibited decreased (P < 0.001) extractable CT, but increased (P < 0.001) protein and fiber–bound CT, whereas Hay only increased (P < 0.01) protein-bound CT. The ED of FG was greater (P < 0.01) than Silage or Hay, with ED of Hay being lower (P < 0.01) than Silage. However, the ED of NDF and CP as influenced by conservation method ranked as Silage > FG > Hay (P < 0.01). Conservation method did not affect intestinal DM digestion of 12-h in situ residues, but the CP intestinal digestion of Silage was higher (P < 0.01) than FG and Hay. Ensiling increased proportions of protein- and fiber-bound CT, but also increased ED of both CP and NDF as well as in vitro intestinal digestibility of CP. These findings indicate that the biological activity of CT and the formation of CT-protein complexes were altered by the ensiling process. Silage is a better conservation method than sun cured hay for PPC in terms of ruminal and intestinal digestion of DM, NDF, and CP while the biological activity of CT is higher in Hay than in Silage.