White false indigo is a southeastern native that behaves like a small shrub: bushy blue-green foliage to three or four feet, topped in spring with tall spires of white, pea-like flowers on dark stems. Charcoal seed pods follow and rattle into winter.

Plant it in sun to part sun where you want it to stay; a deep taproot makes it very drought tolerant once settled and hard to move later. It handles clay, feeds the early bees, and deer pass it by. Cut it to the ground each winter and that is the whole job.