Largeleaf Wild Indigo

A stately plant well-suited to formal gardens and meadows alike, tall upright spikes of eye-catching white flowers rise over attractive mounding foliage. Flowers appear in April and can last through May, resembling white lupine flowers or white turtleheads; extremely popular with bumblebees! Once pollinated, the flowers turn to persistant inflated-looking seedpods, which are themselves relatively attractive. Foliage is blue-green and showy in its own right. Tolerates drought extremely well (this species has a rather bodacious taproot) and may spread very slowly by rhizomes to form nice clumps. Also tolerates occasional wildfires, clay, sand, limestone, and the upland edges of marshes. It does not tolerate black walnut pressure (sensitive to juglone), and when grown in too much shade, may not flower and may need structural support. Long-lived and easy to grow with almost no maintenance needs and nitrogen-fixing roots, this species is a host plant for several species of butterflies and moths, and is extremely resistant to deer pressure. Do not plant near livestock, as the foliage is poisonous to mammals. It earned its name 'indigo' due to its use by early American colonists as a dye to replace true indigo, which is not native to America, and the genus name "Baptisia" comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "to dye."

3-6 foot tall
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b
Perennial
Deer Resistant

Native Range: NY and OH south to MS, west to TX, and north to MN

Largeleaf Wild Indigo quart pot $15.00

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