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NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Baptisia tinctoria

Honesty-weed, Rattleweed, Black Wild Indigo, Northern Wild Indigo, Horsefly-weed

Scientific Name:

Baptisia tinctoria

Genus:

Baptisia

Species Epithet:

tinctoria

Common Name:

Honesty-weed, Rattleweed, Black Wild Indigo, Northern Wild Indigo, Horsefly-weed

Plant Type

Herb/Wildflower

Life Cycle

Perennial

Plant Family

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

Native/Alien:

NC Native

Invasive Status:

(*Key)

Size:

1-3 ft.

Bloom Color(s):

Orange

Light:

Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Soil Moisture:

Dry, Moist

Bloom Time:

April, May, June, July, August

Growing Area:

Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain

Habitat Description:

Sandhills, pine flatwoods, xeric woodlands, ridges, woodland edges, and roadbanks. Common throughout NC.

Leaf Arrangement:

Alternate

Leaf Retention:

Deciduous

Leaf Type:

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Leaf Form:

Compound

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Wildlife Value:

Important for Wildlife

Landscape Value:

Suitable for home landscapes

State Rank:

S4: Apparently secure (*Key)

Global Rank:

G5 - Secure (*Key)

Notes:

Called "Black Wild Indigo" because the fruits turn black in the fall and winter. It has been used as a dye and for medicinal purposes.

Has much smaller leaves than other Baptisia species.

Garden in Mecklenburg Co., NC

The Scientific Name is Baptisia tinctoria. You will likely hear them called Honesty-weed, Rattleweed, Black Wild Indigo, Northern Wild Indigo, Horsefly-weed. This picture shows the Has much smaller leaves than other Baptisia species. of Baptisia tinctoria

Larry Mellichamp

Links:

USDA PLANTS Database Record

Vascular Plants of NC: https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php

NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/baptisia-tinctoria/

https://nc.audubon.org/700



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