About
Baptisia tinctoria is a deciduous perennial that forms clumps and features slender, grey-green foliage. From April through June, it produces short clusters of yellow flowers that resemble those of peas, borne on tall, erect stems. If the plants are not pruned back in the fall, their seed pods and stems offer visual interest during the winter months. Historically, this species has been utilized in herbal medicine for various conditions, including flu, sinus infections, and fever.
About the genus
Baptisia are perennial plants characterized by branched stems that support trifoliate leaves. They produce racemes of pea-like flowers either at the ends of the stems or in the leaf axils, which are succeeded by noticeable inflated seed pods.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Prairie planting, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- E North America
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in open, porous, preferably sandy soil in full sun; drought resistant once roots have penetrated the soil. Best left undisturbed, although vigorous clumps may be carefully divided in spring
- Pruning
- Cut down once foliage has blackened. Can leave over winter for stem and seed-pod interest
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe or propagate by division in early spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free