Baptisia lactea
| Baptisia lactea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Baptisia lactea (common name: wild indigo)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. 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[2]. 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: Prefers a deep, well-drained neutral to slightly acid soil in full sun[2][1]. Grows freely in a loamy soil[3].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4].
Some modern works treat this species as a variety of B. alba, naming it Baptisia alba macrophylla.
Somewhat shy flowering in British gardens[3].
Plants have a very deep root system and dislike root disturbance, they should be left alone once they are established[2][5].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: South-eastern N. America
Habitat: Sandy pine woods, prairies and river banks[3][6].
Medicinal: Cathartic, emetic, laxative[7].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant is potentially toxic[8].
Also Known As: B. leucantha. Torr.&Gray.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.