The seedlings can be transplanted when they are a few inches tall. Water the pot regularly so that the soil is moist but not wet. Water the container and leave it to drain. Sow the seeds on the soil and cover them with a layer of soil ¼ of an inch thick. The ascending branches have alternate compound leaves divided. Use a pot that has drainage holes in the base. This native perennial, usually with a single erect flowering stem, grows from 2-6 feet tall (A). Store the bag in a refrigerator for 6-12 weeks. Place the seeds in a plastic bag and seal it. Soak the seed in water for several hours. The seeds can be sanded with sandpaper, a nail file or an emery board. Scarify the seeds by nicking or sanding the seed coat. The seeds have a hard seed coat that has to be treated, or scarified, in order for water to enter the seeds so that they can sprout. They can be planted outdoors in the fall or winter for spring germination or they can be cold stratified to simulate winter conditions and to break their dormancy at any time of the year. Growing Instructions for the White Wild Indigo It is native to the central and eastern North America. Its range is centered in the Midwest, extends south to Texas and Florida.The White Wild Indigo is an upright perennial plant that has attractive clusters of white, pea-shaped flowers. While this species is indicative of the tallgrass prairie, it will also occur in open woodlands and roadsides. It is extremely deep rooted and will persist in pastures and fields as it is poisonous and cattle tend to avoid it. Adult wild indigo weevils consume the plant and their young live in the seedpods and eat the seeds. White False Indigo, Large-leaf Wild Indigo: Genus: Baptisia: Family: Fabaceae (Pea) Life cycle: perennial: Origin: native: Status: State Special Concern Habitat: sun dry to average moisture, prairies, savannas, open woods: Bloom season: May - July: Plant height: 2 to 4 feet: Wetland Indicator Status: none: MN county distribution (click map to. Many species of caterpillars eat the leaves. It has alternate leaves, divided into three leaflets that are pointed at each end. The rhizobia are in a symbiotic relationship with legumes they both need each other to survive.ĭespite a lack of floral scent, bumblebees love to visit the flowers, and fight their way inside the bulbous flower petals. Beneficial bacteria, called rhizobia, establish in the root nodules and put this limited nutrient in the soil for other plants to use. It is a long-lived plant and a legume, meaning it fixes nitrogen. Although it may take several years to reach maturity, white wild indigo grows quickly in the spring, its towering stature dominating over the other prairie plants. The dried plants often act as tumbleweeds and roll along the land with the blowing wind, bringing along with them any remaining seeds still attached. Fruit is an oval pod with many seeds inside, and ripen from a green color to black. Flowers are large, up to eighteen inches long, and occur at the top of the plant. This is a large plant, herbaceous, but almost shrub-like with a tall inflorescence of many, white, pea-shaped flowers. The species name “ alba” means “white,” obviously referring to the white flowers. The name “ Baptisia” means “to dye,” referring to some species with indigo flowers in this genus being used as a dye. Range & Habitat: The native White Wild Indigo is widely distributed and occurs in almost every county of Illinois, but it is usually uncommon (see Distribution. In the Pea family (Fabaceae), this plant has an easily recognizable spike of white flowers. White Wild Indigo ( Baptisia alba)Ī fine plant is White Wild Indigo.
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