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Baptisia tinctoria
Small yellow wild indigo is an excellent plant for the home landscape. The sturdy shrub-like stems produce multitudes of cream-yellow flowers in the late spring, and once established in the garden can handle fairly harsh conditions.
Like it’s cousin B. australis, B. tinctoria works well as a background planting that bridges the seasons well. While it can be a bit fussy to get started, you will help make a difference for a certain butterfly that is a species of concern in Massachusetts
. The Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus) lays its eggs solely on B. tinctoria, and it feeds on Bearberry nectar (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) as well as other spring wildflowers as an adult.
Fun Fact: Baptisia tinctoria has a wide variety of homeopathic uses, and is historically used as a highly effective treatment for Typhoid fever!
Plants can be purchased in-person or online (with in-person pick-up).
All online orders will be ready for pick-up 24-72 hours after purchase. You will receive an email to let you know when your order is ready. We kindly ask that you pick-up any orders within one week of purchase.
photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Dan Wilder
Baptisia tinctoria (Small yellow wild indigo)
type: herbaceous perennial
sun needs: full sun, part sun/part shade
water needs: dry to moist soil height: 2' plant spacing: 2' distance bloom time: June, July, August
bloom color: yellow deer resistant (please note that does not mean deer proof) salt tolerant. Some salt exposure should not be fatal to the plant but some leaf burning may still occur. Can handle roadside conditions
Supports at-risk insects:
Host plant for:
Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus)
Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
Supports the endangered Walsh’s Anthophora
(Anthophora walshii)
Nectar source for:
Bombus fervidus (golden northern bumble bee)
Nectar source and host plant for:
Bombus vagans (half-black bumblebee)
