Significance

• The perennials of this genus produce long, deep roots that allow the plant to grow in sandy soil. This type of soil drains water away very quickly and produces dry growing conditions. Deep roots search out deep sources of water, rather than exist on just surface moisture from infrequent rains.
  
  

Feature

• Wild indigo develops yellow, white or bluish flowers that resemble pea blossoms on the ends of terminal spikes, which are several inches long. These blossoms attract pollinators, like bees and add to the ornamental features of the plant. The flowers appear two to three years after planting by seed.
  
  

Propagation

• Beaked pods develop after the fading of the flowers on the wild indigo plants. These fruit are 1 to 3 inches long and contain two or more seeds. Once the pods mature in the late summer, they turn black and dry. When the seeds are dry, the brittle pods burst open and sling the seeds away from the parent plant where there is room to grow.