Carolina Wild Indigo Baptisia cinerea
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Baptisia villosa
- Phonetic Spelling
- bap-TEE-zee-uh sin-ER-ee-uh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Carolina wild indigo is a native, herbaceous wildflower perennial in the bean family (Fabaceae). Wild Indigo is native to the woods of the Sandhills or Coastal Plain of southern Viginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. The species epithet is Latin for "ashen or the color of ash." It refers to the color of the hairs on the leaves.
Carolina Wild Indigo grows best in partial shade to full sun, sandy and well-drained soils, and reaches a mature height of 1 to 3 feet by 3 to 4 feet. It is known for being a tough, long-lived plant that tolerates a variety of conditions from drought, poor soil, dry soil, and erosion. Propagation is by stem cuttings or seeds. The plant has a deep taproot making it drought tolerant but difficult to transplant.
The attractive yellow flowers appear on a single raceme from April to July that contrasts nicely against light green leaves. The fruit is a black, inflated, stalked pod with several seeds. The plant has widely spreading branches and short, silvery hairs giving it the common name "Grayhairy", as well as turning ashy-gray in the fall and persisting into the winter.
Include Carolina wild indigo in a drought-tolerant garden, a native garden, or a pollinator garden. It is not as successful in an ornamental garden.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known 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:
- cinerea
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southern Virginia to southern Georgia
- Distribution:
- Southeastern United States
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a host plant for butterfly larvae, including the Wild Indigo Dustywing, and other pollinators.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer damage; tolerates drought, poor soils, dry soil, and erosion
- Edibility:
- Low-level toxicity when eaten.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- 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 Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Puffy bean pod. Black fruits display from June to August.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Irregular
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Description:
- Yellow flowers bloom from May to June on a raceme, usually solitary.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate 3-parted leaves, turning black upon drying. Leaves are entire, green, trifoliate, lanceolate and appear to be in groups of 3 at the end of a stem. Veined, not needle-like or scale-like.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
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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:
- This plant causes low toxicity if eaten. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, 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
