Baptisia or False Indigo was once used as an alternative source of blue dye, when the true indigo from the West Indies was in short supply. These days it is more commonly used as a beautiful and tough native flowering perennial. The genus Baptisia includes many species, the most common of which are B. alba and B. australis, respectively White Wild and Blue False Indigo. Yellow flowers can also be found in B. tinctoria. Baptisia is a very attractive plant, usually with blue or white flowers that last for 3-4 weeks and are followed by interesting seedpods.
Baptisia australis is very cold hardy and performs well under a variety of soil conditions. It does best in full sun and will require some room to grow, reaching 3-4 feet in height with about 4 feet spread. One of the first plants to emerge in spring, the new shoots resemble the dark colored shoots of asparagus. The foliage is gray-green and the leaves are divided into three smaller, rounded leaflets.
The flower stalks are 10-12 inches long and, if raised in the full sun will be very strong and upright. Plants grown in partial shade may need some staking. Flower color, especially of seed propagated plants, can range from light blue to dark blue. The flowers somewhat resemble lupines or small sweet pea flowers. Two-inch long black seedpods appear on the plants in early summer and remain on the plant until it dies back in the fall. The seedpods can be collected and used for dried flower arrangements. The foliage and seedpods can also be left standing throughout the winter for added interest in the dormant garden.
Baptisia can be propagated from seed or by division. The plants are very vigorous growers and may need to be divided to control their growth, although they are by no means invasive. The key to seed propagation is to harvest seed as they turn black and sow them right away. Seed germination will be more uniform if the outer seed coats are scraped with sandpaper before planting.
