Baptisia australis

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens

Baptisia australis (blue false indigo) is a shrub-like plant that grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide and can be used as a specimen plant or placed in small groupings. In mid- to late spring, it produces 12-inch spires of indigo blue flowers above the plant’s soft trifoliate blue-green foliage. The spent flowers are replaced by 2- to 3-inch puffy green seed pods. These pods turn black as they ripen in the summer and early fall and remain on the plants into winter. The pods can be dried for use in floral arrangements. Plants are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

• Do not pinch vernalized Baptisia before they flower.
• Pay attention to the planting depths of bare root and plugs, and be sure to cover the eyes with soil when planting bare root.
• It is recommended to plant bare root in 2-gallon containers, as these have the depth needed to support the plant.
• If a 1-gallon container is desired, roots can be trimmed to fit the container. But 1-gallon containers will have a short shelf life due to the massive root system that develops.