Nebraskaland

26 Nebraskaland • August-September 2024 Wild Indigos Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist sk any horticulturalist what wildfl owers make good ornamentals, and wild indigos are usually near the top of their list. Fortunately, Nebraska is home to three native wild indigos — plains, blue and white — all of which are easily started in greenhouses and transplanted as seedlings into fl ower gardens or established from seed or transplants in backyard prairies. For many, the most appealing aspect of wild indigos as ornamentals is their bush-like shape and tall, colorful spikes of spring-blooming fl owers. I am a fan of their large, infl ated seed pods that remain attached to the spikes well into fall; they add a unique touch to our small backyard prairie in Aurora. But best of all, once established, these deep-rooted, hardy perennials require little care and will add beauty to your landscape for years to come. Nebraska's Wild Indigos Belonging to the pea family and also known as false indigos, our state's three wild indigos inhabit tallgrass prairie in southeastern Nebraska. Cattle tend to avoid grazing wild indigos, so they are usually more abundant in grazed pastures compared to un-grazed or hayed prairies. Plains wild indigo (Baptisia bracteata) is our most common and widespread species. It is a much- branched, stout plant reaching a foot in height and coated throughout in short, velvety hairs. Its large, creamy- yellow fl owers begin blooming in early May, somewhat earlier than our other wild indigos. The fl ower spikes spread outward with their tips often touching the ground, and their oval seed pods reach 2 inches in length, tapering to a sharp-pointed tip. In contrast, blue wild indigo (B. australis) is the rarest of our wild indigos. Botanists speculate that prior to Euro-American settlement, it grew in Nebraska only on limestone soils in Jeff erson County. In the mid-1900s, many crop fi elds in southeastern Nebraska were replanted with prairie grass seed harvested in Kansas, where the plant is common. It is likely blue wild indigo seed was occasionally harvested along with the grass seed, establishing additional populations of the wildfl ower. Blue wild indigo plants are 1 to 2 feet tall and, unlike plains wild indigo, have stems and leaves that are hairless, but unlike white wild indigo, they are not waxy. Their upright fl ower spikes are adorned with intense blue to blue- violet blooms, which begin to open in late May. The oblong seed pods have a sharp-pointed tip and reach 2 inches in length. White wild indigo (B. alba), perhaps the most grazing-tolerant of our wild indigos, can survive even in heavily- Exceptional Native Ornamentals Plains wild indigo adds beauty to a fl ower garden in Aurora. With their bushy growth, large fl ower spikes, long lifespan and low maintenance, wild indigos are appealing ornamentals. A

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