Baptisia tinctoria
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- bap-TEE-zee-uh tink-TOR-ee-ah
- Description
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Yellow wild indigo is a native herbaceous perennial in the bean family (Fabaceae) native to eastern North America. 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 shrub grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide in full sun to light shade in well-drained garden soils. The deep tap root makes it drought-tolerant but difficult to transplant. It tolerates poor soils, dry soils and erosion.
The bright yellow flowers appear in late spring to early summer in clusters above the foliage and are sometimes sparse. The foliage is gray-green and stays attractive throughout the season.
Plant in a woodland, cottage, native, or meadow garden as a specimen or in small groups. Showier false indigos are available and this plant may be best used in a naturalized area.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Fire Risk: This plant has a medium flammability rating.
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
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- 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:
- Pea-shaped flowers are up to 0.5 inches long in 4-5 inch long racemes racemes. Blooms from late spring to early summer. Blooms are sparser than other species
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Grayish green leaves are fine textured in a mound and about 1 foot long..
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Green flowering 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
