Eastern Prairie Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia aberrans
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Baptisia australis var. aberrans
- Phonetic Spelling
- bap-TEE-zee-uh AB-ber-ranz
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Eastern Prairie Blue Wild Indigo is an erect, native, herbaceous perennial wildflower in the Fabaceae (bean) family. The name is derived from Greek baptisis, which means to dip or immerse. It is typically found in glades, barrens, and open woodlands over limestone (or other calcareous rocks) and diabase (or other mafic rocks), in areas that were formerly prairies, barrens, glades, or oak savannas. The plant is classified as an endangered species in North Carolina.
Eastern Prairie Blue Wild Indigo grows best in partial shade to full sun in moist, sometimes dry, soil. It is a tough, long-lived plant that tolerates a variety of conditions from drought, poor soil, and dry soil to erosion. The plant has a deep taproot which makes it drought tolerant, but also makes it difficult to transplant. It can be propagated by cuttings or seeds. Once the plant has gone to seed, it dries and turns silvery-gray, breaks off near the ground, and tumbles across the landscape, shedding pods and seeds as it goes. The attractive lavender blue flowers appear in the spring and contrast nicely against the light green leaves. The fruit is a black, inflated, stalked pod with several seeds.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No significant problems.
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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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Baptisia
- Species:
- aberrans
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern United States.
- Distribution:
- Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts bees. This is a larval host plant for butterflies like Wild Indigo Dustywing.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer damage; tolerates drought, poor soils, dry soil, and erosion
- Edibility:
- Low toxicity from ingestion.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- 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:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Inflated, stalked bean pod with several seeds. The seeds inside of the pod are yellow to brown. Fruits display from June to August.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Irregular
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small lavender-blue flowers stand up on a raceme or spike, bloom from April to May.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are entire, green, trifoliate, and appear in groups of 3 at the end of a stem. Three-parted leaves turn black upon drying.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- stems are smooth and often waxy, pale green
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Insect Pests
- Poor Soil
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Causes low toxicity if eaten. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. All parts are poisonous.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Baptisin and cytisine
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
