Baptisia australis - Blue False Indigo

Morphology/Growth Habits: Blue false indigo is an upright perennial with purple flowers that look similar to lupines. They have beautiful bluish-green leaves that resemble clover petals.  It blooms in late spring and its flowers become seed pods that turn black when ripe and have an ornamental interest. Difficult to transplant due to its deep taproot. 

Height: 3-4 ft

Light: Full Sun-Part Shade

Moisture: Dry-Medium

Bloom color: Blue

Bloom time: May-June

Habitat/Best Environments: Grows in thickets, woods, and streambanks. Typically blooms best in full sun. Deep tap root makes it drought-resistant, and it can grow in poor/dry soils. Works well in borders, cottage gardens, and native plant gardens particularly when used in small groups.

Ecological relationships: Host plant for Wild Indigo Duskywing. Baptisia genus is a part of the legume family, which is known to have an especially beneficial relationship between the bacteria on its roots and fungi in the soil—leading to higher nitrogen in the soil and more nutrients for your plants!

This plant makes a blue dye. Seed pods were also used as rattles for children to play with. All parts of this plant are toxic for humans, do not ingest in large quantities.

Fun facts: This flower does contain indigo but less than Indigofera tinctoria, the True Indigo plant, hence the common name. It still produces comparable dye.