Yellow Wild Indigo
Baptisia tinctoria
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herbaceous Layer
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- July
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Colias philodice, Everes comyntas, Callophrys irus, Erynnis baptisiae, Automeris io, Antheraea polyphemus, Dasylophia anguina, Cingilia catenaria
S14 filtered to ON/QC-range species; S61 confirms Callophrys irus
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Seeds consumed by Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), comprising a notable fraction of diet in one study. Pods mature summer to fall; however, USDA indicates seed persistence is low and fruit/seed conspicuousness is low, suggesting limited but present winter carry-over.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 2
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- SE
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) but nationally critically imperiled in Canada (N1). Ranked S1 in Ontario, its only Canadian jurisdiction. Not listed under SARA. Range is primarily eastern United States; Ontario populations represent the northern limit of the species distribution [S1, S29].
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S1 – Critically Imperiled
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Occupies dry, sandy, acidic openings in oak-hickory woodlands and sandy barrens. Typically found in well-drained, nutrient-poor soils where competition from taller vegetation is reduced. A nitrogen-fixing legume that contributes to soil fertility in oligotrophic habitats. In Michigan, documented in sandy plains, lakeplain prairie openings, and dry uplands with associates including Quercus, Carya, and Pteridium aquilinum.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Nitrogen Fixer, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Nitrogen Fixer: S73 [HIGH]: S11 classified (S53 no signal, not contradictory)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- As a nitrogen-fixing legume, B. tinctoria enriches soil nitrogen available to neighboring plants through root nodule associations. Its bushy, clump-forming habit and deep tap/fibrous root system make it a stable guild component in sandy, well-drained soils. Best suited to low-fertility sites where its nitrogen contribution is most valued.
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.
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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
- Antiseptic, Immune Stimulant, Febrifuge, Emetic, Purgative, Dermatological Aid, Alterative
- Notes
- Extensively used by Indigenous peoples including Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois, Micmac, Mohegan, and Penobscot nations. Root preparations served as antiseptic washes for wounds and skin complaints, emetics, purgatives, and treatments for kidney and venereal ailments. Modern phytotherapy recognizes immune-stimulant properties; prescribed alongside Echinacea for chronic viral infections. Contains quinolizidine alkaloids (cytisine, sparteine, anagyrine). Health Canada lists as approved herbal NHP. Caution: large or frequent doses are potentially harmful.
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.
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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
- Young shoots have been used historically as a cooked asparagus substitute, but the plant contains toxic quinolizidine alkaloids (cytisine, sparteine, anagyrine) and is poisonous in large quantities. Not recommended for consumption.
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database; USDA classifies toxicity as None. However, PFAF notes the plant is poisonous in large quantities, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; toxic principles include baptisin and cytisine. Contains quinolizidine alkaloids (cytisine, sparteine, anagyrine). LBJ Wildflower Center reports low toxicity if ingested. May cause eye irritation and dermatitis on contact.
Seed Source
- Blue Sea