Herb: Wild Indigo


Latin name: Baptisia lactea


Synonyms: Baptisia alba macrophylla, Baptisia leucantha


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Wild Indigo:

Cathartic, emetic, laxative.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy pine woods, prairies and river banks.

Propagation of Wild Indigo:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and then sown in a cold frame in late winter or early spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer or following spring. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sandy pine woods, prairies and river banks.

Known hazards of Baptisia lactea:

The plant is potentially toxic.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.