Baptisia tinctoria
Small yellow wild indigo is an excellent plant for the home landscape. The sturdy shrub-like stems produce multitudes of cream-yellow flowers in the late spring, and once established in the garden can handle fairly harsh conditions.
 
Like it’s cousin B. australis, B. tinctoria works well as a background planting that bridges the seasons well. While it can be a bit fussy to get started, you will help make a difference for a certain butterfly that is a species of concern in Massachusetts
. The Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus) lays its eggs solely on B. tinctoria, and it feeds on Bearberry nectar (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) as well as other spring wildflowers as an adult.
 
Fun Fact: Baptisia tinctoria has a wide variety of homeopathic uses, and is historically used as a highly effective treatment for Typhoid fever!
 
Plants can be purchased in-person or online (with in-person pick-up).
All online orders will be ready for pick-up 24-72 hours after purchase. You will receive an email to let you know when your order is ready. We kindly ask that you pick-up any orders within one week of purchase. 
 
photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Dan Wilder