Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)

     Cream Wild Indigo is a native, perennial wildflower in Wisconsin that grows one to two feet tall. The creamy yellow pea-shaped flowers are arranged along dense, cascading racemes that droop over and hang to the ground. It is a bushy plant with stems that branch occasionally, and it can be up to three feet wide. The stems are round and light green. Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem and are divided into three leaflets, which are one to three inches long and up to an inch across. They have smooth margins and are usually lance-shaped with the more pointed end at the base. It grows in prairies and open woodlands. It likes part shade and moist, well-drained soil. (LS)