FLASH SALES: discover new special offers every week!
Share your pictures? Hide split images
I have read and agree the terms and conditions of service.
Exclusive

Baptisia alba - White False Indigo

Baptisia alba
White Wild Indigo, White False Indigo

Be the first to leave a review

Shipping country:

Schedule delivery date,

and select date in basket

This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

More information

This Baptisia is a beautiful perennial plant for sunny and poor soil that offers a lovely cream-white flowering in June-July; its small pea-shaped flowers are arranged along a tall ramified spike that stands out distinctly from a foliage of green-blue clover, which remains interesting in texture even outside of the flowering period. This plant is ideal in a border, in a romantic or natural garden. Very hardy, undemanding, and water-efficient.
Flower size
45 cm
Height at maturity
1 m
Spread at maturity
60 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -29°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
plantfit-full

Would this plant suit my garden?

Set up your Plantfit profile →

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to April, August to October
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Flowering time June to July
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

Baptisia alba (Pendula Group), also known as the white false indigo, is a robust perennial with a spontaneous charm, even in poor soils. It offers a very pretty flowering in early summer, made up of small cream-white flowers arranged along dark and branched stems. These long spikes rise above a foliage of green-blue clover, whose texture remains interesting even outside of the flowering period. This plant is ideal in a border, in a romantic or natural garden. It should be grown in full sun, in well-drained acidic or neutral soil, even poor soil.

 

Baptisia alba (Pendula) is sometimes sold under the names Baptisia pendula, Baptisia alba 'Pendula', Baptisia alba var. pendula, Baptisia alba, Baptisia alba var. alba, and Baptisia alba (Pendula group). It is a bushy and very long-lived perennial plant of the legume family, native to the southern United States, specifically Tennessee and North Carolina to Florida. All baptisias grow spontaneously in meadows and woods, among tall grasses, without any care, perfectly tolerant to frost and dry summers.

The plant forms a large bushy clump reaching 80cm (32in) to 1.10m (4ft) in all directions. The flowering takes place in June-July, in the form of numerous creamy white papilionaceous flowers, measuring 45 to 50cm (18 to 20in) in length. They open in abundance on dark grey stems, set in calyxes of the same dark grey colour. The foliage, which disappears in winter, is also very ornamental when swaying in the wind. It is composed of leaves divided into three rounded leaflets, resembling those of alfalfa or clover. This plant develops from a particular root system, which dives very deep into the soil to extract and transform nutrients thanks to the presence of symbiotic bacteria housed in small nodules. Like all legumes, this baptisia contributes to enriching the soil in which it grows.

 

Baptisias are close relatives of lupins, which are much better known in Europe. They are much less demanding in terms of humidity but share a preference for acidic soils with them. These plants have very robust roots that allow them to live for a long time in our gardens, but they require time to establish themselves. A truly versatile plant, the white false indigo will find its place in a romantic garden, a dry garden, or in natural areas. It is also useful for decorating a degraded plot of land, which often surrounds a recently built house. It looks stunning when combined with roses, Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba Semiplena', Eremurus himalaicus, or Allium bulgaricum. It also pairs well with purple toadflaxes or hybrid mulleins, which are equally spectacular.

The vernacular name "false indigo" comes from the use that some Native American peoples made of these dye plants. Indeed, they provide dye pigments comparable to those of true indigos (of the Indigofera genus), but of lower quality.
 

Baptisia alba - White False Indigo in pictures

Baptisia alba - White False Indigo (Flowering) Flowering
Baptisia alba - White False Indigo (Foliage) Foliage
Baptisia alba - White False Indigo (Plant habit) Plant habit

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time June to July
Inflorescence Spike
Flower size 45 cm
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms
Flowering description Creamy-white spires of pea-like flowers.

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green
Foliage description Trifoliate, deciduous.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1 m
Spread at maturity 60 cm
Growth rate slow

Botanical data

Genus

Baptisia

Species

alba

Family

Fabaceae

Other common names

White Wild Indigo, White False Indigo

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference157691

Planting and care

The cultivation of Baptisia alba requires a bit of finesse to succeed smoothly:

Not very tolerant of very chalky soils, this tall perennial appreciates light and well-draining soils, but can tolerate summer drought.

In the first year of cultivation, the plant may seem to stagnate, which is normal. Young Baptisia plants have very slow growth, and their taproot is particularly fragile until it is deeply anchored in the soil. Make sure not to damage it during planting! Also, do not leave a young plant in its bucket for too long: the taproot may bend when it reaches the bottom.
Optionally, add a small handful of phosphate fertilizer (it stimulates root growth) that you will mix with the soil at the time of planting. Add 1/3 sand and 1/3 gravel to heavy soil to ensure good drainage, which is essential. Water moderately in the first year.

In the second or third year, the plant will be established, will not require any special care, and can flower profusely for many years!

Attention, voles also seem to be fond of its fleshy roots...

17
14,50 € Each
6
19,50 €

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time February to April, August to October

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Experienced
Planting density 5 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Light and well-draining, sandy or gravelly

Care

Pruning instructions Remove the stems to ground level at the end of winter.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March to April
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

This item has not been reviewed yet - be the first to leave a review about it.

Leave a review →

Spring flowering perennials

19
12
From 2,90 € 8/9 cm pot
6
From 2,10 € Plug plant 3/4cm
36
From 2,90 € 8/9 cm pot

Available in 2 sizes

18
From 3,90 € 8/9 cm pot
52
From 7,90 € 8/9 cm pot

Available in 3 sizes

24
From 6,90 € 8/9 cm pot
29
From 3,90 € 8/9 cm pot
21
From 7,90 € 8/9 cm pot

Haven't found what you were looking for?

We only deliver seed and bulb products to your country. If you add other products to your basket, they cannot be shipped.