Wild Indigo Baptisia

Wild indigo is a genus of about 20 species of erect, native, herbaceous perennials in the Fabaceae (bean) family native to the East to the Midwest of North America. The name is derived from the Greek baptisis, which means "to dye." Their native habitat is woodland borders and open woods.

They will grow 2-4 feet tall with a similar spread in partial shade to full sun. They are tough, long-lived plants that tolerate various conditions from drought, poor soil, dry soil, and erosion. All wild indigos will fix nitrogen into the soil. Propagation is by stem cuttings or seeds. They have a deep taproot making them drought tolerant but difficult to transplant.

The attractive flowers appear in late spring to early summer and are typically deep blue, yellow and white.  They contrast nicely against gray-green leaves.  The fruit is a black, inflated, stalked pod with several seeds.

Include wild indigos in a drought-tolerant garden, a native garden, naturalized areas or a pollinator garden as a specimen or in the border.

Quick ID Hints: 

• The flowers have four to five petals each and stand up on a raceme or spike. 
• Blooms are white, blue, purple-blue, or yellow and can be irregular and pea shaped. 
• The three-parted leaves have an alternate arrangement and turn black upon drying.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No significant problems. 

Additional Baptisia Images at Juniper Level Botanic Garden

VIDEO Created by Homegrown featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum 

Additional video for Baptisia from the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative.