Baptisia australis, also called false blue indigo, is a native perennial wildflower that produces showy blue-purple pea-like flowers in the late spring and early summer; with a dense, arching growth behavior, mature false indigo can resemble a small shrub more than it does a perennial. In spring, small blue flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. False indigo can grow two to four feet tall, occasionally spreading to three feet wide, can tolerate a variety of soils, including clay, as well as even harsh, full sun.
In the late summer, flowers give way to persistent, attractive, dark seed pods which last through the fall and winter, and which act as a late food source for a number of birds. Once established, Baptisia australis is drought tolerant and tolerates alkaline soils, making for a versatile choice in a number of locations.
This selection of Baptisia australis was grown from the ground up here at Unity Church Hill Nursery.