False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

I have had a False Indigo plant in my garden for over a decade. I don’t remember when I first purchased it, but it reappears every year without fail, no matter the condition of the winter it weathered.

A year or two ago it became a bit overgrown, and I roughly divided it, thinking the cut away portion would probably not survive. It not only survived, but both plants thrived.

The flowers don’t last long, but they leave behind large pods that rattle fabulously when they dry, adding a castanet accompaniment to the song of the wind as it blows.

This perennial is very tall and should be planted at the edge of the border. The dark blue flowers are spiky and don’t last very long, but they do leave behind the wonderful pods. Beyond enjoying False Indigo in the garden, I must sing its praises as a cut foliage plant. I have a piece in a vase now that has been going strong for ten days and still shows no signs of wilting. I arrange flowers for church now and then and enjoy using the long stems in the arrangement. The soft bluish green color is a great neutral background-for all flowers.

False Indigo does well in my Southern NJ garden in full, hot sun. It seems to accept wet or dry conditions. False Indigo is part of Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge.

The Spruce has a great article on the care of False Indigo.