Atlantic Wild Indigo

Baptisia alba var. macrophylla (purple flowers) Fabaceae

Other names

White False Indigo, Prairie False Indigo

Growth habit

Herbaceous

Perennation

Perennial

Native distribution

Central US

Location

Houston and Grossman Ponds

Source of plant

Cornell Botanic Gardens

Description

Plants reach 3'-6' in height, widely branched, glabrous and glaucous. Leaflets narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, 3-6 cm, racemes solitary or few, erect, the flowers purple, effective in June and July. Seed pods black, drooping, abruptly narrowed to a short beak. Each flower spike is about 3' long and stems are near black, contrasting with the white flowers.

USDA Hardiness Zone

4