Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic

This prized garden plant with attractive gray-green foliage produces beautiful blue flower spikes followed by blue-black seed pods. Although Baptisia is native to NoVA (except for Prince William County), it is rare in the Mid-Atlantic Region, confined mostly to the mountains and Piedmont.

Print Version (Legal Size): Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo)Baptisia australis, Blue Wild Indigo Perennial Indigo blue flowering spikes in May and June Height: 3–5 feet Spread: 3–4 feet Bloom Color: Blue Characteristics Upright, bushy clump Multiple light green stems with gray-green foliage Green seed pods mature to yellow to blue-black (attractive in dried arrangements) Attributes Tolerates clay soil, dry soil, shallow-rocky soil, erosion, and drought; intolerant of soggy winter soil No serious pests or diseases; deer rarely severely damage; tolerates rabbits Doesn’t transplant easily but is long-lived Attracts bumble bees; larval host for some lepidopteraGrowing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Average, well-drained Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Water Requirements: Dry, Moist Space young plants about 3 feet apart Trim after bloom to avert need to stake (this also will prevent formation of attractive seed pods)Use as specimen or in small groups in back of border, meadow garden or native plant gardenHardiness: USDA Zones 3–9 Excellent Replacement for Coronilla varia - Crown Vetch Digitalis purpurea - Foxglove Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: Tried and True Plant Fact Sheets