Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Baptisia

Species:

Baptisia lactea var. pendula

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

150 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, native pollinators, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Deep taproots allow resprouting after fire. Thrives in fire-maintained prairie ecosystems with periodic burns.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification with sandpaper or acid treatment improves germination. Cold-moist stratification following scarification enhances success rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI