![]() This is a big award for this popular blue perennial flower. It also won the award for Perennial Plant of the Year in 2010, awarded by the Perennial Plant Association. It has even won the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Award Of Garden Merit, indicating its appreciation on continents far from its native area. It is also incredibly easy to grow and establishes itself well in most parts of the United States.īaptisia australis has also been introduced to other parts of the world and can be found growing in many European gardens. ![]() It is one of only a few native blue flowers that have the true blue color not often seen in nature. False Indigo is a common garden plant in the US, found in nurseries across the country. However, this native plant is not restricted to the wilderness, nor its native habitat. They are usually situated around woodlands or along streams and in meadows. Wild Baptisia australis can be found in the Midwest of the United States today. Cultivation This plant can be found wild or in gardens throughout the US and Europe. Instead, it is now valued for its ornamental qualities and ability to grow well in a wide range of conditions with little to no maintenance. Its time as a global economically important crop may have been short-lived, but the plant’s popularity has not waned. It became an essential crop and was even exported to other parts of the world until farmers began growing true Indigo in North American territory. However, demand far exceeded supply, and the settlers began using Baptisia as a replacement.Īlthough the color was not as intense or vibrant as true Indigo, it did provide the blue hue in fashion in the 1700s. This plant originated in the West Indies and was shipped around the world in the 18 th century. At the time, indigo pigments from the plant Indigofera tinctoria were incredibly popular. The long taproots were also harvested to make natural medicines to treat pain and nausea, and the hardened seed pods typical of the legume family were believed to be used as children’s rattles.īritish settlers took notice of the Native American’s use of Baptisia as a blue dye. Strong pigments were extracted from the plant and used to color different materials. Native to North America and commonly found in the central or eastern parts of the United States, Blue False Indigo was used by Native Americans for hundreds of years. If the seed pods are left over winter, they will produce little seedlings, but they are easy to pull out.Plant History Native Americans used Baptisia australis for making blue dye.Trimming foliage after bloom helps maintain a rounded plant appearance, but you will miss out on the attractive seed pods which are great to use in dried flower arrangements.Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe or propagate by division in early spring.Great as a specimen plant or in small groups. Looks stunning in beds and borders, cottage gardens, prairies or meadows, and native plant gardens.Not susceptible to pest damage or disease.Attracts scores of butterflies and hummingbirds.Baptisia is rarely bothered by deer as they consider it unpalatable and is rabbit resistant.Do not disturb once established as it develops a deep taproot that is easily damaged if you try to transplant it. Its requirements are fairly simple: Full sun in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils. Although it will grow in some shade, this plant tends to become leggy and may require staking. Tolerates poor soils and drought.Spreads by underground rhizomes and typically grows up to 4 ft.Blooming in late spring to early summer, it is an extremely valuable addition to the garden and its seedpods help create lovely winter decorations.Bred at the Chicago Botanic Garden, this hybrid Baptisia is vigorous, tough, long-lived, and enjoys a long season of interest. ![]() If left untrimmed, the plant forms interesting seedpods turning charcoal-black in the fall and persisting into winter. When the flowers fade away, the lovely blue-green foliage, which forms a beautiful broad, rounded shrub, remains neat all season and creates a lovely backdrop for the other perennials in the garden. Borne on gracefully arching branches, they last for up to 4 weeks and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. long (12 cm), further extending its flowering season. It is quickly followed by a second cycle, which produces blooms on secondary branches with inflorescences up to 5 in. The first cycle produces long flower spikes up to 24 in. Unlike most False Indigos, this plant has two bloom cycles within its blooming season. (60 cm), bearing deep blue-violet flowers. Noted for its long blooming season, Baptisia 'Midnight' is an upright perennial bearing a profusion of extremely long inflorescences, 24 in. ![]()
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