wild indigo
Baptisia tinctoria
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow to cream colored
- Foliage color
- Gray-green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy or loamy soil. Yellow pea-like flowers form in clusters on a bushy plant, and butterflies and bees visit the blooms. It sits low on the menu for deer. The plant often increases in burnt fields.
Pairs well with Pale purple coneflower, Standing Ovation little bluestem, and Nodding onion.
Native range
Eastern United States.