Baptisia tinctoria
Horseflyweed
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Horseflyweed is a bushy perennial with small, yellow, pea-like flowers blooming May-June. The flowers are borne in clusters on tall stems above a...
Description:
Horseflyweed is a bushy perennial with small, yellow, pea-like flowers blooming May-June. The flowers are borne in clusters on tall stems above a mound of gray-green foliage. The flower nectar has special value to native bees and bumblebees. This plant is a host to moth and butterfly larvae (caterpillars), including Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus), Dusky-winged Butterfly (Thanaos brizo), and Io Moth (Automeris io), and is the only known food source for Wild Indigo Dusky Winged (Erynnis baptisiae) butterfly larvae. Its reputation for protecting horses and mules from horseflies led to its common name, Horseflyweed. Use it in a meadow garden, sunny informal area, or in a butterfly or pollinator garden.
Plant Details:
Other Common Names: Yellow Wild Indigo
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: Yellow
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies
Salt Tolerance: Low to None
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Grows in Special Ecoregions: Barrier Island/Coastal, Pinelands
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry
Drought Tolerance: High
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 2 - 3 ft
Spread: 2 - 3 ft
Growth Rate: Medium