Baptisia pendula – Drooping White Wild Indigo – 5-Pint

White flowers with a hint of violet resemble sweet pea blooms. They contrast beautifully with charcoal gray stems and flower calyces. This species can be distinguished from the similar Prairie White Wild Indigo (B. lactea) by its relatively large, pendulous (hence the common name “drooping”) and relatively thin-walled seed pods. It is also has smaller leaves and is a bit shorter. It hails from the Southeast, North Carolina to Florida. All Wild Indigos are long-lived, drought tolerant, easy-care plants but often take 2 or 3 years to become established before putting on a good flowering display.

This species has become increasingly difficult to find in horticulture. We’ve been trying to grow it from seeds from plants in our garden, but most seeds have been inviable. We do have some nice-sized plants from another grower though we’re not 100% certain of the identity – they might be B. lactea.