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Stems of cream wild indigo terminate in 3-9" long flower spikes that sprawl laterally or arch. Each flower is ~1" long and across with a short (1/2"), tubular, light green to light purple calyx with 4-5 triangular teeth, a creamy-yellow (or very yellow) typical pea-like flower with a vertical banner (one petal) and a pair of wings (two petals) that enclose a keel (two petals); the keel encloses ten stamens and the single style. Flowers are held on ~1" long pedicels; at the base of each pedicel, a lance-shaped, 1/2-1" long bract is sessile on the flower stalk. This is our earliest-blooming wild indigo. Flower color, the profuse hairs, and the bracts at the base of each flower pedicel are sufficient to positively identify cream wild indigo.

Baptisia

Baptisia bracteata

cream wild-indigo [Blooms: May-Jun]