wild indigo

American  

noun

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Baptisia, of the legume family, especially B. tinctoria, having yellow flowers.

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wild indigo British  

noun

1. any of several North American leguminous plants of the genus Baptisia, esp B. tinctoria, which has yellow flowers and three-lobed leaves

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Etymology

Origin of wild indigo

An Americanism dating back to 1735–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wild indigo

As summer comes, white wild indigo, prairie dock and sky blue aster will hug the landscape.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2020

Portuguese, Dutch and British visitors have sailed away with ginger, wild indigo, seven kinds of cinnamon.

From Time Magazine Archive

Range Management Expert Dick Whetsell can point out areas where cattle have wiped out prairie flowers, including wild indigo and blazing stars, leadplants and horsemint, prairie clover and many species of sunflowers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Baptisia tinctoria furnishes a blue dye, and is the wild indigo of the United States.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

Take four ounces of wild indigo and steep it about a week or ten days in a pint of alcohol and a pint of hot water, when it will be ready for use.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous