Description
Baptisia australis
Blue False Indigo aka Blue Wild Indigo. A great long-lived perennial prairie plant and excellent nitrogen fixer, perfect for use as a companion to young fruit trees, edible landscapes, or in native and pollinator-friendly gardens. Produces upright spikes of dense, pea-like blue-purple flowers in late spring, followed by dark indigo seed pods with many uses. An important native habitat plant it also has multiple medicinal uses. It will die back to the ground in winter and regenerate in spring. Deep roots make it highly drought tolerant and it will thrive in a variety of conditions. Sun to part shade it will even grow in poor soils. Supports native bees and butterfly species. Cut back and mulch with old stems in winter to spread its nitrogen and encourage vigorous new shoots. One of our top companion plants!
USDA Zone: 3–9
Size at maturity: 3–4 ft. height and width
Bloom time: Late April–May