{"product_id":"wild-indigo-baptisia-alba","title":"Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eWild Indigo \u003cem\u003e(Baptisia alba)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild Indigo is the prairie's most architecturally dramatic wildflower — its tall, blue-green stems rising in spring like asparagus spears, then opening into elegant spikes of pure white pea-like flowers, and finally transforming into inflated black seed pods that rattle in the autumn wind like natural maracas. It is a plant of three distinct seasons of beauty, and in the Louisiana prairie, it is one of the most ecologically significant wildflowers in the landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fabaceae (Legume family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Kansas and Texas; native to Louisiana's upland prairies and open woodlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–5 feet tall and wide; long-lived perennial that improves with age\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e April–June; black inflated seed pods persist through winter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to light shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained, dry to average; drought-tolerant; nitrogen-fixing; deep taproot makes it extremely long-lived\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePrairie Movement \u0026amp; Ecological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild Indigo is a host plant for an extraordinary suite of specialist butterflies: the Wild Indigo Duskywing, Frosted Elfin, and Hoary Edge skippers are all dependent on \u003cem\u003eBaptisia\u003c\/em\u003e species for larval development. It is also a host for the Wild Indigo Borer Moth. Its spring flowers attract bumblebees and specialist \u003cem\u003eBaptisia\u003c\/em\u003e bees. Its nitrogen-fixing root nodules enrich the prairie soil, and its deep taproot — extending 6 feet or more — makes it one of the most drought-tolerant and long-lived native wildflowers available. A well-established Wild Indigo plant can live for decades, becoming more beautiful and ecologically productive with each passing year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Prairie Movement Strip\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003ePrairie Movement Strip | Wind, Pollinators \u0026amp; Motion\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Wild Indigo is the prairie strip's most enduring presence — white in spring, black-podded in autumn, rattling in the winter wind, and growing more magnificent with every year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49765857722608,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/image_b8178b18-97e6-4f18-bbcb-2d90a96aa430.png?v=1779811484","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/wild-indigo-baptisia-alba","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}