Baptisia sphaerocarpaFalse indigo
科:蝶形花科
Family:fabaceae
common name:False indigo
introduce:Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Fabaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: Arkansas, Oklahoma
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Spread: 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Time: May - June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium moisture
Maintenance: Low
General Culture:
Easily grown in average, dry to medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun. Tolerates drought and poor soils. Over time, plants form slowly expanding clumps with deep and extensive root systems, and should not be disturbed once established. Difficult to grow from seed and slow to establish. Plants take on more of a shrubby appearance and tend to open up after bloom. Trimming or shearing foliage after bloom helps maintain rounded plant appearance and obviates any need for staking, but eliminates some of the developing seed pods which are so attractive.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
This species of false indigo (also called yellow wild indigo) is noted for its yellow flowers and rounded seed pods. The current range of this plant appears to be Louisiana to Texas north to Missouri and Oklahoma, however it is not clear that it is indigenous to all of these areas. This plant was apparently introduced a number of years ago into certain prairie areas and along certain railroad tracks in five Missouri counties, but accordingly is not considered to be a native Missouri taxon (Steyermark). It is an upright, mounded perennial that typically grows 2-3?tall. It features small, yellow, pea-like flowers (to 1/2?long) in erect racemes (to 12-15? atop yellowish-green flower stems extending well above a foliage mound of clover-like, trifoliate, blue-green leaves (leaflets to 2?long). Blooms in spring. Flowers give way to inflated spherical seed pods (to 3/4?diameter) that turn tan to brown when ripe and have considerable ornamental interest. Stems with seed pods are valued additions to dried flower arrangements. Steyermark reports that this species is unique among the species of Baptisia found in Missouri by having leaves on the smaller branches with only 1-2 leaflets.
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses:
Borders, cottage gardens, prairies, meadows and native plant gardens. Effective in naturalized settings. Best as a specimen or in small groups.
