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White Wild indigo
Baptisia lactea

a.k.a. Baptisia alba var. macrophylla

White Wild Indigo is a Minnesota Special Concern species due to habitat loss from agriculture but is available widely in native plant nurseries. It attracts many insects including bees, caterpillars, butterflies, and moths.

USDA symbol: BAAL

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height2.5 to 5 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry, Medium
Bloom ColorWhite
White Wild indigo (White Wild indigo<div><em class="small">Baptisia lactea</em></div>)
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant

Pollinator Value: High

Bloom MonthsMay to July
Larval Host ofBees, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedDasylophia anguina, Megachile dakotensis, Uresiphita reversalis
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Specialists

Project Planning

Project TypeRain Garden
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAnoka, Faribault, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Ramsey, Scott, Wabasha, Washington
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands