Tap card to flip
Blue Wild Indigo
Baptisia australis
PerennialBlue Wild Indigo
Baptisia australis
Tap to flip backGrowing Conditions
Light
Full Sun
Water
Medium
Soil
Clay
Size
3-4'
Bloom
Blue-Purple, May–Jun
Why Grow It
Deer Resistant
Great for gardens without fencing
Caterpillar Host
Feeds caterpillars of native moths & butterflies
Fall Color
Showy autumn foliage adds seasonal color
Did You Know?
Blue Wild Indigo can live for decades and improves with age — mature specimens form impressive bushes up to 4 feet tall and wide that never need dividing.
The plant is the primary host for the Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly, a specialist that depends almost entirely on Baptisia species to complete its life cycle.
Its common name comes from the fact that early American colonists used it as a substitute for true indigo dye, though the color it produced was inferior to the real thing.
Wildlife Value
🐝
Bumblebees
Heavy enough to open keel petals for pollination
🦋
Wild Indigo Duskywing
Obligate host plant for caterpillars
🦋
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Larvae feed on flowers and seed pods
Good Companions
🌸 Purple Coneflower
🌿 Wild Bergamot
🌾 Little Bluestem
🌼 Showy Goldenrod
Planting Guide
- Plant in full sun in well-drained, average soil.
- Space 3 feet apart; deep taproot makes transplanting hard.
- Scarify seeds before sowing; very long-lived once established.
Heads Up
Toxic to Humans
Keep away from children
Plant Details
Made with ♥ by Lu Li