Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
|
|||||||||||
Deciduous Perennial in the Fabaceae Family | |||||||||||
Buy Blue False Indigo | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Available September 25
|
|||||||||||
Teaser | Bushy plant with blue-green pea-like foliage; attractive all summer. Flowers are indigo-blue in long terminal erect racemes. | ||||||||||
Baptisia australis, commonly known as blue wild indigo, is a North American native perennial prized for its impressive blue flower spikes and attractive, blue-green foliage. In late spring to early summer, Baptisia australis produces abundant clusters of pea-like, indigo-blue flowers atop sturdy 2-3 foot tall stems. These vibrant blooms rise above the plant's handsome, trifoliate leaves, which have a soft, powdery blue-green hue. As the flowers fade, they give way to decorative, inflated seed pods that mature to a blackish color. Baptisia australis has a bushy, mounded growth habit, typically reaching 3-4 feet tall and wide at maturity. This drought-tolerant and low-maintenance perennial thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it a great choice for prairie gardens, border plantings, and naturalized areas. With its impressive flowers, attractive foliage, and structural form, Baptisia australis is a standout addition to the native plant garden. |
|||||||||||
Plant Data | |||||||||||
Mature Size | 3 - 4 feet tall. 3 - 4 feet wide. | ||||||||||
Sun Exposure | Full Sun - Partial Shade | ||||||||||
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, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to North America, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, 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 | ||||||||||
Flower Color | Indigo Blue | ||||||||||
Foliage Color |
| ||||||||||
Awards |
|||||||||||
More Info from Experts |
|||||||||||
Commonly Planted with...Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Eryngium yuccifolium, Rudbeckia hirta, Solidago speciosa, and Sorghastrum nutans, Peonies and Irises |
|||||||||||
Photos of This with...Lady's Mantle, Lyrical White Meadow Sage, |
|||||||||||
| |
Want More
photos of this plant? Try
Google Image Search!
|
|
Pricing and Availability HistoryClick a label to toggle visibility for that size
|
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!
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.
Want a better way to get great plants and make your yard look awesome? Create your account below and get:
Membership is free, but — since we rely on delivery and local pick-up — you have to live near one of our hubs (or be willing to drive to a site to pick them up). If you live farther away, and would like to help us bring the club to your neighbors, please email helpusgrow@northshoreplantclub.com.
To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!