Size: 24-36”x 12” Care: part shade in moist well-drained soil Native: Eastern Canada to Florida, west to New Mexico, Wisconsin native. Wildlife Value: Rich, sugary nectar important food for ruby-throated hummingbirds. Buntings and finches eat the seeds. Sole food source for columbine duskywing caterpillar.
Seeds are fragrant when crushed, used by Omaha, Ponca and Pawnee as perfume. Pawnee used the plant as a love charm by rubbing pulverized seeds in palm of hand and endeavoring to shake hand of desired person. Crushed seeds also used to cure fever and headaches. Cherokee made a tea for heart trouble. The Iroquois used the plant to cure poisoning and to detect people who were bewitched. Grown by Englishman Tradescant the Elder in 1632. He may have received it from France. Cultivated by Washington & Jefferson.
Clean white variegated leaves and flowers, very showy midsummer to fall.
Size: 18” x 10” Care: sun moist well-drained soil, drought tolerant. Native: Plains from Dakota to Texas Size: Wonderful cut flower just be careful of the milky sap.
Discovered on Lewis and Clark expedition. A “most elegant species.” Breck, 1851.
Spikes of yellow pea-like flowers, a legume, in spring.
Size: 2-3’ x 2-3’ Care: sun to part shade in moist well-drained to dry soil Native: Missouri to Mississippi to TX
Baptisia is Greek meaning “to dye” referring to use of Baptisia australis as a substitute for indigo dye. Sphaerocarpa means “round seed.” Collected by English planthunter Thomas Nuttall before 1834.