White Wild Indigo
Baptisia alba
- Plant Type
- Herbaceous perennial (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herb
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- May, June, July
- Sociability
- S1 – Solitary / small clusters
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Erynnis baptisiae (Wild Indigo Duskywing)
S14 Hesperiidae, range includes southern ON
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) consumes Baptisia seeds; black seedpods persist on naked winter stems providing a durable food source.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 2
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
- Closest Direction
- SW
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.2 – Central USA Plains, 8.2.4 – Eastern Corn Belt Plains
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) per NatureServe. Nationally secure in the US (N5). Not ranked in Ontario or Quebec; VASCAN lists Ontario occurrence as excluded. Not SARA-listed.
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Prairie and open woodland perennial of the central US. Occurs in dry to mesic prairies, open woods, and ravines on sandy or rocky acidic soils. Nearest preserved specimens are from the Eastern Corn Belt Plains (8.2.4) in Illinois and Indiana, well southwest of the Outaouais.
S4 habitat=prairies, open woods, ravines; S48 nearest specimens in IL, IN, OH
Permaculture & Companion Planting
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Dermatological Aid, Antirheumatic, Respiratory Aid, Kidney Aid, Hemorrhoid Remedy, Snake Bite Remedy
S28 Moerman categories from Choctaw, Koasati, and Meskwaki uses
- Notes
- Root and leaves used medicinally by multiple Indigenous nations. Choctaw applied root and leaf poultice for swellings. Koasati took root decoction for rheumatism. Meskwaki used roots for sores, wounds, piles, dropsy, catarrh, and rattlesnake bite.
S28 Moerman ethnobotanical records
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Not edible. All parts are considered toxic if ingested; the plant has been fatal to cattle and can be irritating to humans.
S4 warning: fatal to cows, irritating to humans; S28 no food uses
- Toxicity
-
☠️ High Toxicity
Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. However, S4 (LBJ Wildflower Center) warns the plant has been fatal to cows and can be irritating to humans if ingested. Baptisia species are known to contain quinolizidine alkaloids. Sensitivity varies with age, weight, and individual susceptibility.
Seed Source
- Wildflower Farm
- Northern Wildflowers