Wild Indigo (Baptisia)
[bap-TIZ-ee-ah]

Deciduous Perennial in the Fabaceae Family

About Indigos

Baptisia, also known as false indigo, is a genus of flowering plants native to North America. These perennial plants are prized for their showy spring blooms and attractive foliage. Baptisia plants feature blue, purple, yellow, or white pea-like flowers that bloom in terminal racemes, resembling lupins. The flowers are followed by inflated seed pods that mature to a blackish color. Baptisia plants have a distinctive bushy, mounded growth habit, with gray-green or blue-green trifoliate leaves. They typically grow 2-4 feet tall and wide, making them well-suited for the back of the border, prairies, or native plant gardens. Baptisia is drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. It is a long-lived, low-maintenance perennial that provides season-long interest and attracts pollinators to the garden.

Pros

  • Long-lived perennial native to the Midwest, well-adapted to Chicagoland's climate and local ecosystems
  • Attractive foliage and pollinator-friendly flowers
  • Drought tolerant

Cons

  • Slow to establish: may not reach full size or bloom heavily until 2-3 years
  • Mature plants 3-4 feet tall and wide may overwhelm smaller garden spaces
  • Deep taproot makes it hard to move once planted, so choose where you want them wisely
  • Seed pods may be messy
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 6 - 8 feet wide.
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Keep a false indigo watered regularly for the first year, but after this, it will do well with about 1 inch of water every couple of weeks. Once established, Baptisia is relatively drought-tolerant.
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Full Sun, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period April to June
Animals That Use It

Larval Host:
 

Rankings
 

More Info from Experts

Wild Indigo Available Now
False Indigo - Starlite Prairieblues(TM)
(Baptisia Starlite Prairieblues)
From $15.54
White False Indigo
(Baptisia alba var. macrophylla)
From $15.54

Blue False Indigo
(Baptisia australis)
From $12.98

Lemon Meringue False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Lemon Meringue')
From $31.36

Purple Smoke False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Purple Smoke')
From $15.85

Twilite Prairieblues False Indigo
(Baptisia x variicolor 'Twilite' TWILITE PRAIRIEBLUES)
From $15.54

Baptisia Solar Flare
(Baptisia hybrid 'Solar Flare')
From $15.85

Wild Indigo
(Baptisia leucophaea)
From $15.54

Decadence Blueberry Sundae False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Blueberry Sundae')
From $18.87

Lunar Eclipse Baptisia
(Baptisia 'Lunar Eclipse')
From $15.85

Decadence Deluxe Pink Lemonade False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Pink Lemonade')
From $18.87

Royal Purple Prairieblues False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Royal Purple')
From $15.85

Prairieblues Mojito False Indigos
(Baptisia 'Mojito')
From $15.85

Prairieblues Sunny Morning False Indigo
(Baptisia 'Sunny Morning')
From $15.85

American Goldfinch Wild Indigo
(Baptisia 'American Goldfinch')
From $17.94

Spilled Buttermilk Wild Indigo
(Baptisia 'Spilled Buttermilk')
From $15.85

Plum Rosy Baptisia
(Baptisia 'Plum Rosy')
From $17.94

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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