White wild indigo (Baptisia alba)

Description: Strikingly beautiful spikes of white, pea-shaped flowers borne on dark stems that rise above the bushy plants with elliptic leaves. Drought tolerant once established.

Lifespan: Perennial

Light exposure: Full sun to high pine shade

Bloom color: White

Bloom season: Late spring to early summer

Height (in bloom):  3 to 4 feet

Habitat: Dry to slightly dry pine flatwoods, upland mixed forests

Germination Note: Seeds have hard, water impermeable seed coats that prevent germination. Lightly abrading the hard seed coats on sandpaper or a concrete surface (“scarification”) for a few seconds will allow the seeds to absorb water and germinate. To test whether the seed coats have been abraded enough, place a few of the abraded seeds in a shallow dish of water. Sufficiently scarified seeds will swell noticeably within an hour or two; swollen seeds must be sown immediately. If most seeds do not swell, repeat the abrasion process and retest. Scarified seeds should be sown within a week or two.

Each packet covers 10 square feet.

Read the Florida Wildflower Foundation's profile of White wild indigo.