Baptisia albescens

Spiked Wild Indigo, Narrow-pod White Wild Indigo, White Wild Indigo

Baptisia albescens is a bushy, leguminous herbaceous perennial with foliage about two feet high supporting much taller spikes of white, pea-like flowers, hence the common name of “Spiked Wild Indigo”. Wider than it is tall, the plant has bluish-green foliage and is more shrub-like in the landscape during the growing season. Baptisias are drought-tolerant and durable and unfussy about soil, due to their very deep tap roots and their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. They may not flower for a season or two from seed, but they are very long-lived and can give pleasure for decades if undisturbed. Plant them where you intend to keep them, as they are not easily transplanted. Found in the Sandhills and Piedmont areas of NC, they are fully adapted to dry, open conditions (full sun) and regular fire.