Baptisia alba var. macrophylla
White false indigo
Also known as Baptisia lactea, Baptisia leucantha
- Height × spread
- 2m × 1m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Spring, Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This hearty plant can reach a height of 2 metres. It grows from nothing each spring, attractive when it first emerges from the earth because of the purple tinted young foliage. It is a sturdy, self-supporting plant with large rather oblong leaves. The creamy white flowers are carried in racemes and are a feature in early summer. Despite the stature of this plant the beautiful flowering spikes are delicate affairs with widely spaced individual blooms that form spots of colour. They need to be placed against a contrasting background to achieve maximum benefit from their beauty. The flowers are followed by distinctive brown seed pods.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Spring foliage
- Mauve-purple
- Fruit colour
- Brown
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 2m
- Spread
- 1m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer
- Flowers in
- Spring, Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Prairie garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Bee attraction
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.