Spiked wild white indigo is an erect, native, herbaceous perennial in the bean family (Fabaceae). Its native habitat is woodland borders and open woods and is often found in dry woodlands, pine flatwoods, and roadsides. The species epithet is Latin for "whitish or becoming white" and references the flower color. This plant is one of the smaller and bushier species reaching 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide and grows best in partial shade to full sun. It is known for being a tough, long-lived plant that tolerates a variety of conditions from drought, poor soil, dry soil, and erosion. It can be propagated by cuttings or seeds. The plant has a deep taproot that makes it drought-tolerant but difficult to transplant. The attractive white flowers that appear in the spring contrast nicely against light green leaves. The fruit is a yellowish-brown, inflated, stalked pod with several seeds. This plant was selected as the 2011 NC Wildflower of the Year , a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina. Include spiked wild white indigo in a drought-tolerant garden, a native garden, or a pollinator garden. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems VIDEO Created by Homegrown featuring Mark Weathington , Director of JC Raulston Arboretum More information on Baptisia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The three-parted leaves have an alternate arrangement and turn black upon drying.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Irregular; Lipped
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers have four to five petals each and stand up on a raceme or spike. White flowers bloom from May to July.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit detail
The fruits are unlike other Baptisia species being cylindric, about 3 times as long as the diameter, and yellowish-brown (rather than black) when mature. Puffy bean pod. Fruits display from July to October.
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern United States
Distribution
Virginia south to Florida, Tennessee, Alabama
Wildlife value
This plant is a larval host for butterflies. It also attracts pollinators.