Robin Trott
Douglas County Extension Service
(320) 762-3890
June 22, 2010
Growing Green
with Extension Educator Robin Trott
Perennial Plant of the Year: Baptisia Australis
I love blue plants in my garden! Delphinium towers over blue veronica. Deep purple, near black petunias stole my heart at the garden center, (these are a trial variety, and have not, as yet, been named) and I am forever on the lookout for the blue iris, Codicil, that I fell in love with and lost in my first garden. You can imagine my joy, when the Perennial Plant Association announced the winner of their 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year Baptisia australis, otherwise known as blue false indigo, has been selected as this year’s winner!
False indigo is a lovely plant that stands 4’-5’ tall, spreads to 3’-4’ wide, and has a mounded, shrub-like appearance. It is hardy to zone 3, and is an excellent choice for our cold Minnesota climate. A member of the pea family, Baptisia australis reminds me of tall, blue sweet pea flowers. Plant Baptisia in full sun. Less than 6 hours of sunlight per day result in floppy stems that need to be staked. Don’t be discouraged with Baptisia’s initial slow growth, with only a few sparse stems the first year. Within three years, your plant will reach its full size. Consider the mature dimensions when choosing a spot for this beautiful plant. Baptisia has a long tap root, and doesn’t like to be moved once established. Choose a permanent location for planting, and stick with your choice.
In spring, newly emerging, bluish green leaves give way to violet-blue, lupine-like flowers. These flowers last for 3-4 weeks then produce plump seed pods, which turn charcoal black at maturity. The dried seed pods rattle in the autumn wind, and were once used as children’s rattles. The common name, false indigo, comes from the use of this plant as a dye by early Americans, similar to the true indigo of the West Indies.
Use Baptisia as an anchor for the back of a perennial border, in cottage gardens, native plant gardens and in prairies and meadows. It can be used with bulbs and other spring flowering perennials to add color and texture to your flower bed. Heuchera (coral bells), amsonia (blue star), and myosotis (forget-me-nots) make good garden partners; mirroring or contrasting Baptisia’s delicious shade of blue. Baptisia has the added benefit of attracting a number of butterfly species to your garden.
There are no serious insect or disease problems with false indigo, and deer don’t like them. (The plants contain several alkaloids that have a bitter taste, making them unpalatable to browsers.) This low-maintenance plant is ideal for the novice gardener, and is a welcome friend for the experienced gardener.
For more information about Baptisia australis, and past winners of this prestigious award, visit the Perennial Plant Association website at www.perennialplant.org.
Until next time, happy gardening!
Oh! darkly, deeply, “beautifully blue”, as someone somewhere sings about the sky ~Lord Byron
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