Wild Indigo

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US, US(Amerindian), German, French, US(Appalachia), Italian, Dutch

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antiseptic, Bruise, Cathartic, Emetic

Science studied: BAPTISINE, BIOCHANIN-A-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE, CYTISINE, GENISTEIN-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Fabaceae

Scientific name: Baptisia tinctoria

Common names: Wild Indigo, Horseflyweed, Indigo-broom, Rattleweed, Wild-indigo, Yellow Wild Indigo, Yellow-broom, baptisie des teinturiers, horseflyweed, indigo-broom, rattleweed, wild indigo, yellow false indigo, yellow wild indigo, yellow-broom

POWO: 1198899-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US, US(Amerindian), German, French, US(Appalachia), Italian, Dutch.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antiseptic
• Bruise
• Cathartic
• Emetic
• Emmenagogue
• Medicine
• Poultice
• Purgative

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US
• US(Amerindian)
• German
• French
• US(Appalachia)
• Italian
• Dutch

Documented cultural uses

• Antiseptic
• Bruise
• Cathartic
• Emetic
• Emmenagogue
• Medicine
• Poultice
• Purgative
• Sore
• Tonic
• Tumor
• Typhus

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Antiseptic · US · "
• Bruise · US(Amerindian) · "
• Cathartic · US(Amerindian) · "
• Emetic · US · "
• Emetic · German · "
• Emmenagogue · French · "
• Medicine · US(Appalachia) · "
• Poultice · US(Amerindian) · "
• Purgative · Italian · "
• Sore · US · "
• Tonic · Dutch · "
• Tumor · US · "
• Typhus · US · "
• Wound · US(Amerindian) · "
• Wound · US · "
• Fever · French · "
• Laxative · US · "
• Poultice · US · "
• Sore(Throat) · US · "
• Astringent · US · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Exploring Homoeopathic Potential Against Typhoid: Baptisia tinctoria, Rhus toxicodendron, and Eupatorium perfoliatum in growth Inhibition of Salmonella typhi – In-vitro study · 2024 source ↗
• Efficacy of Baptisia tinctoria in the treatment of typhoid: its possible role in inducing antibody formation. · 2012 source ↗
• An acidic arabinogalactan-protein from the roots of Baptisia tinctoria. · 2005 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• BAPTISINE
• BIOCHANIN-A-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE
• CYTISINE
• GENISTEIN-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE
• GUM
• LUTEOLIN-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE
• METHYL-CYTISINE
• OROBOL
• PSEUDOBAPTIGENIN
• PSEUDOBAPTIGENIN-7-O-RHAMNOGLUCOSIDE
• RESIN
• SCOPOLETIN
• TECTORIGENIN
• ANAGYRINE
• BAPTISOL
• GENISTEIN

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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