White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba)

Baptisia alba, more commonly called White Wild Indigo or White False Indigo, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family, Fabaceae. It is an early-season native species found across central and eastern North America. White Wild Indigo typically grows 2 to 3 feet tall, though in particularly favorable sites it can reach greater heights, producing upright spikes of white, pea-like flowers.

White Wild Indigo is a vital prairie plant for many pollinators. Beyond its attractive white blooms and sturdy presence in native plantings, it plays a crucial ecological role as a host and food source for many lepidopterans. Caterpillars of the Duskywing butterfly rely on it for development, and the Indigo Stem Borer Moth depends on it as well, using the plant for feeding and shelter during vulnerable life stages. In addition to these specialists, White Wild Indigo provides nectar and habitat value for a wider community of butterflies, including the Eastern Tailed-Blue, Clouded Sulfur, Southern Dogface, and Orange Sulfur. By supporting both caterpillars and adult butterflies, White Wild Indigo helps sustain local pollinator populations, strengthens prairie biodiversity, and enhances the ecological resilience of native landscapes. Planting it in restorations or pollinator gardens offers tangible benefits for these species throughout their life cycles.

Leaves of Wild White Indigo display an alternate arrangement along the stem, each leaf composed of three narrow, oblong leaflets that give the plant a finely textured, graceful appearance. From the tip of a tall, erect stalk a long spike inflorescence develops; along this spike, clusters of delicate white blossoms open in succession, creating a column of blooms that draws the eye. Depending on location, blooming can begin as early as April and continue through July, with plants in the southern portion of the species’ range typically coming into flower sooner. Though Wild White Indigo is naturally a denizen of native grasslands, it adapts well to cultivated settings and is often grown in gardens where soils remain moderately moist, a condition it favors for best growth and flowering. The species’ combination of slender trifoliate leaves and a striking, white-flowered spike makes it a useful choice for prairie restorations, pollinator-friendly plantings, and garden borders that benefit from a vertical floral accent.

Baptisia alba var. alba differs from its ecotype cousin B. alba var. macrophylla (syn. B. lactea, B. leucantha) by range and fruit position: var. alba is found only in the southeastern US, and its ripe fruits hang downward.

Baptisia alba is usually found in non-wet areas (about 67%–99% of the time) but can sometimes be in wetlands (about 1%–33% of the time).