Photo by Jess Cole.
White False Indigo. Photo by Jess Cole.
Baptisia alba is a reliable native perennial that germinates readily and establishes with ease. She takes two to three years to grow robust, and is often initially a bit leggy in nature. Once established, though, there is no stopping her beauty. This perennial is a legume, therefore nitrogen-fixing, that blooms tall, creamy white spikes early in spring before yielding interesting seed pods that add fun garden texture. It grows incredibly well through drought or deluge and loves disturbance—hence why it is common, within its native range, as a roadside wildflower and frequently found under powerlines. I love planting it in a cottage garden setting alongside tall purple blooms, such as verbena and echinacea. I credit Baptisia alba, entirely, with the genesis of my relationship with native perennials. When I returned home from living out of state, I was so incredibly struck by this wildflower growing on the roadsides of my family property that I have never looked back.
