Small Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)
I love the Baptisia species, and Small Yellow Wild Indigo is no exception. Its yellow blooms show up later than the other Baptisias, so of course, you will need to collect them all. Small Yellow Wild Indigo is the host plant for the Wild Indigo Duskywing and 17 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is beneficial to the threatened Persius dusky wing (mnfi.anr.msu.edu) and possibly the Frosted Elfin (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). Give this plant some time and it will pay off with great flowers, unique long-lasting foliage, and some fall/winter interest with its large dark seed pods.
Photo Credit: Fritz Flohr Reynolds
I love the Baptisia species, and Small Yellow Wild Indigo is no exception. Its yellow blooms show up later than the other Baptisias, so of course, you will need to collect them all. Small Yellow Wild Indigo is the host plant for the Wild Indigo Duskywing and 17 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is beneficial to the threatened Persius dusky wing (mnfi.anr.msu.edu) and possibly the Frosted Elfin (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). Give this plant some time and it will pay off with great flowers, unique long-lasting foliage, and some fall/winter interest with its large dark seed pods.
Photo Credit: Fritz Flohr Reynolds
I love the Baptisia species, and Small Yellow Wild Indigo is no exception. Its yellow blooms show up later than the other Baptisias, so of course, you will need to collect them all. Small Yellow Wild Indigo is the host plant for the Wild Indigo Duskywing and 17 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). It is beneficial to the threatened Persius dusky wing (mnfi.anr.msu.edu) and possibly the Frosted Elfin (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). Give this plant some time and it will pay off with great flowers, unique long-lasting foliage, and some fall/winter interest with its large dark seed pods.
Photo Credit: Fritz Flohr Reynolds
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full-Partial shade
Soil Moisture: Medium – Dry
Height: 1-3 feet
Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet
Bloom Time: June-August
Bloom Color: Yellow to cream
Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great Landscaping plant
Host Plant: Wild Indigo Duskywing, Clouded Sulphur, and 16 other species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Possibly the Frosted Elfin (mnfi.anr.msu.edu), Persius dusky wing (Erynnis persius persius) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)
