Cream Wild Indigo
- Scientific Name: Baptisia leucophaea
- Garden: Beneficial Insects and Compost Garden
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Evergreen/Deciduous: Deciduous
- Sun/Shade Exposure: Full Sun
- Moisture Requirements: Dry
Plant Information
Cream wild indigo is in the Pea family (Fabaceae).
The flowers bloom in the early spring and occur along long racemes. Unlike other wild indigo species, like white wild indigo, the flowering stems droop over and the hang to the ground. The individual flowers are on short pedicels to face upward toward the sun. The flowers are a dull yellow or cream color, about one inch in size, and exhibit the typical floral structure indicative of the Pea family: comprised of a banner that is one petal, and a keel and wing, each with two petals.
The leaves are palmately compound and trifoliate, meaning they are divided into three sections, and are arranged alternately on the stem. This herbaceous perennial plant is a sprawling plant that looks like a small bush. It produces a large taproot that makes it difficult to transplant.
This plant prefers open sun with little competition from larger perennial plants in habitats like prairies and savannas and occurs in abundance in areas that have not been grazed.
Data Source
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/baptisia_leucophaea.shtmlPlant Photos
