Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Baptisia

Species:

Baptisia cinerea

USDA Symbol:

BACI

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

120 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from deep taproots after fire. Common in fire-maintained longleaf pine savannas and sandhills ecosystems.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification followed by cold stratification improves germination rates. Seeds have hard coats typical of legumes.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI