Description

The False Indigo (Baptisia species) features beautiful compact bluish green leaves arranged in groups of three. Like many members in the legume family, they are nitrogen fixing plants which means they produce their own nitrogen in the soil through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. The flowers bloom above the foliage normally in April and May. Common baptisia flower colors include white, purple, lavender, yellow, and pink as well as uncommon colors ranging from deep purple to maroon and even coppery orange. Considered a great North American native three season plant, the foliage always emerges very attractive followed by flowers that do not need deadheading. Foliage generally lasts pretty nice through hot summers and into fall turning black with first freeze. Seed pods also turn charcoal black when ripe and have considerable ornamental interest and useful in dried flower arrangements. At some point in the fall, it can be cut down early for a clean look or left for winter interest. Baptisia generally do well in droughty clay soils in full to part sun. There is only one pest that may create problems called the Genista Broom Moth. It may occur in Kansas when weather conditions are consistently dry and over 95 degrees F. It is treatable if you act fast but if not, it only destroys the foliage late in the season and does not kill the plant. Baptisia has several enormous spreading taproots which store water and energy and can make transplanting difficult. Plantings look good as specimen or in small groups; and it's ok even preferable if they grow together and touch other plants. That helps eliminate available sunlight and discourages weeds. It is hard to picture a native plant garden or any perennial garden without Baptisia. Considered a once "it's there, it's always there" long lived plant. Baptisia x variicolor 'Twilite Prairieblues' is a cross between B. australis, a blue flowering variety, and B. sphaerocarpa, a yellow flowering variety. The result is pea-like violet-purple and maroon flowers with dramatic yellow keels and foliage that is more on the blue-green spectrum. In Kansas we have noticed a slightly increased incidence of Genista Broom Moth with this cultivar, but overall vigorousness offsets any permanent damage to the plant. This extremely long-lived perennial could be used instead of a shrub in landscape settings, with minimal care required to thrive year after year.