Showcase for hot, dry soil: Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis

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God has blessed me with seven kids. There is a lot of chaos, but we call it happy chaos, a term my mother-in-law coined for large family life. With all that busyness, garden work provides some outside respite for this lady. It is important to keep things simple. That means establishing a low maintenance garden. 

No fussy plants allowed, of course. I choose natives and other plant varieties that do well in this climate. There is something called the 80-20 rule. Choose those perennials which you know grow well in your landscape, allow those plants to multiply and fill up your space. Dedicate 20% to experimental plants (hopefully low maintenance choices, as well). I also like to choose native plants as they are affordable.

Where I live in east-central Missouri, the south-facing flower beds and slopes endure immense heat. When I first came here, many of those spots remained bare, despite providing plenty of mulch. However, a few plants were able to take the heat: Missouri Primrose, Shrubby St. John's Wort, Missouri Maiden Bush, and Purple Poppy Mallow.  But a real showstopper for sun-dry spots is the Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis. It takes three years to flower, but when it does bloom, the racemes are outstanding. 

Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis  in full flower.

About this Wildflower

This is a long lived and low maintenance native plant for sunny locations. It grows 3-4 feet tall and just as wide. These plants live 20 or more years in with medium to dry soils. That means they are drought resistant--- you will likely not need to water them. They grow in zones 3-10, so they are hardy. 

To keep the plant low maintenance, bear in mind that Wild Blue Indigo grows poorly in the shade and does not like wet feet. Missouri Botanical Garden also states that the plant is sensitive to juglone, so it should not be planted next to walnut trees. They are also sensitive to broad leaf pesticides. 

Wild Blue Indigo is pest resistant. Weevils like to eat their seed, making germination rates low where such pests are present. Because of the weevil, finding pods with undisturbed seed can be difficult. However, for healthy seeds, scarify the seed, soak them overnight in water, and they should easily germinate. 

As a member of the Fabaceae family, it is a nitrogen fixer, and can be used as a natural fertilizer for your garden beds.

The blossoms are beautiful.

In my location in east-central Missouri, Blue Wild Indigo blooms at the perfect time in late April as the early spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils die back and before the early May and June summer flowers appear. However, in the Northern climates such as Minnesota, bloom time can be as late as August. 

I order my native wildflower seed and plants at Missouri Wildflower Nursery in Jefferson, MO. Usually, I like to get at least three of one plant type. A sage women and friend of mine was known to say three is a beautiful number. Having the plants together will really make the flowers pop out, but also gives the owner a safety net in case one dies and ensures reproductive success. 

Cultural Uses

Is it edible? According to the renown Sam Thayer in his book, Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, at least the raw vegetable is not. Several reports indicate it is indeed quite toxic (See here and here).

Culturally, however, in addition being used as a dye, it was also consumed as a medicinal tea among Native Americans for sore throats and tooth aches, among other things. So certain preparations were consumable, I guess. Its cousin, Baptisia tinctoria, was the favored medicinal. 

Were the flower seed pods really also used as a rattle for children in these communities, as reports suggest? Given the habit of small children to put any object in the mouth, I wonder. Perhaps the dried pods lack toxicity, but I wouldn't test it. 

Wild Blue Indigo adds color at a time when early spring flowers are dying back, and summer flowers haven't yet appeared.

In the wild, the plants are often along in hedge rows, forested meadows, and prairie fields. Interestingly, as cattle avoid them due to toxicity, they prosper in grazed fields. 

If you would like to see these plants in their natural habitat, the Missouri Department of Conservation reports this species can be found in Missouri at the Three Creeks Conservation Area in Boone County, the John L. and Georgia Girvin Conservation Area in Pemiscot and New Madrid counties, and Grandfather Prairie Conservation Area near Sedalia. 

They are so beautiful. Try them in your garden, and enjoy!

On My Bookshelf

Do you want to learn more about what wildflowers will work for your garden? Would you like guidance on landscaping designs? Check out this this book:

Wildflowers in your Garden: A Gardener's Guide, by Viki Ferreniea