Description
Scientific name: Baptisia australis
Range: Midwest
Light: Sun, part sun
Soil: Sand, loam, clay
Moisture: Medium
Benefits: Pollinators, host plant, hummingbirds, deer resistant
Height: 3-5′
Blooms: June, July
Zones: 2-7
Color: Purple, blue
Spacing: 2-3′
Root: Taproot
An excellent focal point in the native garden, blue false indigo has a secret super power. When mature, it develops a shrub-like appearance, which makes it a perfect foundation plant in the north. Woody shrubs are routinely busted to smithereens by snow catapulting down from our roofs. But foliage of the blue false indigo dies back every winter and emerges healthy and happy in the spring, no matter the avalanche. Of course, you can grow it simply for its gorgeous flowers, interesting seed pods, and unusual blue-green foliage. The pollinators will thank you for it.
