Cream Wild Indigo - Baptisia leucophaea

Above: Cream Wild Indigo in UW Arboretum in Madison, Wisconsin (5/22/21).

Cream Wild Indigo - Baptisia leucophaea/Baptisia bracteata

Cream Wild Indigo is a native plant that prefers full to partial sun with dry to moderate moisture such as prairies and woods.

The white to creamy yellow pea-shaped flowers are arranged along dense, cascading racemes that droop over and hang to the ground. Blooms May-June.

Cream wild indigo is in the Pea family (Fabaceae). The name "Baptisia" means "to dye," referring to some species with indigo flowers in this genus being used as a dye, and "leucophea" means "grayish white," referring to the off-white, cream colored flowers.


Above: The flower clusters (racemes) spread out sideways or sprawl across the ground, unlike most other Baptisia species, which have vertical racemes.

Other names: Long-bracted wild indigo, plains wild indigo.

For more information on Cream Wild Indigo, visit Wikipedia.

Or, for information on Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia leucophaea) visit the Wisconsin State Herbarium.

Or, visit the U.S. Forest Serice website page on Cream Wild Indigo (Plant of the Week).

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