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Marcus, Joseph A.

Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea

Baptisia bracteata Muhl. ex Elliott var. leucophaea (Nutt.) Kartesz & Gandhi

Longbract Wild Indigo, Cream False Indigo, Plains Wild Indigo, Cream Wild Indigo, Large-bracted Wild Indigo

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Synonym(s): Baptisia bracteata var. glabrescens, Baptisia leucophaea, Baptisia leucophaea var. glabrescens

USDA Symbol: BABRL2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Cream false indigo is an exquisite perennial, 1-2 ft. tall with a wide, bushy habit. The branches cascade under the weight of the sometimes foot-long flower spikes. The leaves are alternate, 1 1/2-4 inches long, divided into 3 distinct segments; but the stipules are so large that they are sometimes mistaken for leaves. The velvety leaves, held in groups of five, lose their green color by late summer and change to a dark gray or black. Individual flowers are cream-colored and pea-like.

This species can be damaged by wind and it needs support from companion plants. Seedlings are slow to mature, taking several years to bloom. Flowers are showier on dry sites.

From the Image Gallery

26 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AR , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MI , MN , MO , MS , NE , NJ , OK , SD , TN , TX , WI
Native Distribution: S. MI to MN & s.e. NE, s. to KY, LA & n.TX
Native Habitat: Prairies; open woods

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Well-drained, sandy to loamy soils.

Benefit

Use Medicinal: Pawnees reputedly used ointment of seed powder in buffalo fat applied to stomach for colic, root tea for typhoid and scarlet fever, and leaf tea externally on cuts and wounds. May be toxic.
Warning: Other plants in this genus are poisonous if ingested, although no human fatalities have been recorded. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, different plant parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Best propagated from seed. Sow unstratified seed in fall or stratified seed in spring.
Seed Collection: Collect in Aug. and Sep.
Seed Treatment: Scarification, inoculation, moist stratification for 10 days.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 417 - Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (2000) Foster, S. & J. A. Duke
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea

Metadata

Record Modified: 2026-09-30
Research By: TWC Staff

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