Baptisia tinctoria
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- bap-TEE-zee-uh tink-TOR-ee-ah
- Description
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Wild indigo is a low maintenance, herbaceous perennial in the Fabaceae family.
Where to Plant: Plant in a woodland, cottage, native, or meadow garden as a specimen or in small groups. This plant may not always be the best choice for a front and center placement in the garden because this plant is not extremely showy. Full sun, versus other sunlight conditions, makes this plant feel the happiest. Do not try to move this plant once it is settled.
Propagation and Pruning tips:
Growing from seed may be challenging. If you do not mind not having the seed pods, then you could trim the plant.
Latin Name & Common Names: This plant is sometimes called a rattleweed because of the ripe pods' rattling noise. Tintoria means dye in Latin referring to dyes that were created from this plant.
This plant does not have major insect or disease problems.
Fire Risk: This plant has a medium flammability rating.
Seasons of Interest:
Bloom: Late spring-Early summer, May-June Nut/Fruit/Seed: Late summer/Fall
VIDEO Created by Homegrown featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Baptisia
- Species:
- tinctoria
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Indigeous people used this plant to make dyes though they were inferior to the dyes made with plants from the Indigofera genus. Blue dye came from the leaves and yellow from the flowers.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Eastern Canada to North Central & Eastern U.S.A
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant is a larval host to Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) caterpillars which have several broods and appear from April through November in the north and throughout the year in the deep south and Mexico. Flower nectars are attractive to bees and adult Pearl Crescent butterflies.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer damage, drought, poor and dry soils, and works well when planted to manage erosion
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 9 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Good Dried
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Puggy, inflated bean pods are seen from July to November. They come after the flowers have bloomed. They are ripe when black, and the pod sounds like a rattle because of the seeds inside. Some people like the looks of the seed pods for ornamental interest.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Irregular
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are only up to 0.5 inches long (though racemes can be up to 4-5 inches). Blooms from April to August. After the flowers bloom, the seed pods come.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Grayish green leaves are under the stem in a mound. The trifoliate leaves look like clovers, and the whole leaflet is only up to 1 inch long.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The stem is between the leaf mound and the flowers that are on the upper part of the stem.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Insect Pests
- Poor Soil
