Common names include White Wild Indigo, White Baptisia, and White False Indigo.
An upright-growing perennial native to dry woods in Texas, east to Florida, and north to Wisconsin. It features small, white, pea-like flowers in erect racemes atop dark flower stems extending well above a foliage mound of clover-like, trifoliate, bluish-green leaves in spring. Flowers give way to inflated seed pods which turn brown to black when ripe and have considerable ornamental interest. Stems with seed pods are beautiful additions to dried flower arrangements. After the first frost, the entire shrub-like plant turns black, adding winter interest to landscapes.
Attractive to bumblebees and a larval host plant to the Southern Dogface, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, and Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies. As part of the legume family, it can aid in the fixation of nitrogen in soil, improving long-term health of neighboring plants.
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in part shade (in Texas, full sun in northern states). Tolerates drought and poor soils. Over time, plants form slowly expanding clumps with deep and extensive root systems, and should not be disturbed once established. Trimming or shearing foliage after bloom helps maintain rounded plant appearance and obviates any need for staking, but eliminates the showy seed pods.
Height: 2’-4′ Spread: 2′-2.5′ Bloom: April-July Light: Full Sun-Part Shade Water: Low-Medium Zone: 4-9 Origin: Texas, central and eastern U.S.
