Baptisia lanceolata, Gopherweed, Baptisia lanceolata

Baptisia lanceolata, Gopherweed

Gopherweed is an herbaceous perennial native to sandy, dry woodlands and roadsides of parts of the southeastern United States. Baptisia lanceolata is one of the yellow-flowered species. It is found in a scattered f4rom central Florida north through the peninsula and panhandle. It also is recorded in adjacent states. It is an herbaceous perennial that dies back to the ground during the winter months with a semi-woody root.

Gopherweed reaches a mature height of about 3 feet. Its thick stem supports a wide crown of herbaceous branches that may spread out to 2-3 feet in width. Like most legumes, it has compound leaves in threes. As its Latin name suggests, each of the three leaflets are lanceolate in shape; about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. There are two varieties, 

•  Baptisia lanceolata var. tomentosa [FL Panhandle, s. AL, and c. peninsular FL]
•  Baptisia lanceolata var. lanceolata  [se. SC south through GA Coastal Plain to ne. FL]