Baptisia australis after I brought it home labeled Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ on 4-24-17, #322-1.
Blue False Indigo, Blue Wild Indigo
Baptisia australis
bap-TIS-ee-uh aw-STRAL-iss
Synonyms of Baptisia australis (2) (Updated on 12-17-23 from Plants of the World Online): Podalyria australis (L.) Willd. (1799), Sophora australis L. (1767)
Baptisia australis (L.) R.Br. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Baptisia. It was named and described as such by Robert Brown in the second edition of Hortus Kewensis in 1811. It was first named Sophora australis by Carl von Linnaeus in the 12th edition of Systema Naturae in 1767.
Accepted Infraspecific Names (2) (Updated on 12-22-22 from POWO): *Baptisia australis var. australis (autonym), Baptisia australis var. minor (Lehm.) Fernald. *When an intraspecific taxon is named, an autonym (“type specimen”) is automatically generated that is closest to the (original) species. All have their own list of synonyms…
The genus, Baptisia Vent., was named and described by Etienne Pierre Ventenat in Decas Generum Novorum in 1808.
As of 12-17-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 18 accepted species in the Baptisia genus. It is a member of the plant family Fabaceae with 793 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
I brought this plant home from the Green Street Market in Clinton, Missouri in the spring of 2017. There were several larger pots of Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ that were flowering but they were a bit pricy. SO, I settled for one of the smaller plants that wasn’t flowering yet. The label said it was also a ‘Lunar Eclipse’.
I originally wrote this page for Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’, taking many photos, writing captions, and adding them to this page only to find out later the plant was incorrectly labeled. This plant was NOT a Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’.
SO, I had to change all captions on this page as well as in the folders on my computer and re-write the entire page. I am no newbie when it comes to changing plant names because I have done it for many years as scientific names change. It does feel weird, though, to have a plant you waited a year for it to flower only to find it was incorrectly labeled. In a way, I felt robbed or cheated. Of course, I am just kidding. I am honored to have such a beautiful plant as a companion no matter what its name is or its possibly sordid past. It isn’t the plant’s fault it was incorrectly labeled and has had a few aliases from being misunderstood.
Baptisia australis in the bed at the southwest corner of the house. I took this photo on 5-26-17, #334-4.
I planted the Baptisia in the southwest corner bed next to the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’.
Baptisia australis on 6-11-17, #343-4.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Native to parts of the United States
Zones: USDA Zones 3-10
Size: 36-48” tall x 36-48” wide.
Light: Full sun to light shade preferably
Soil: Well-drained soil
Water: Average. Drought tolerant once established.
Uses: Attracts butterflies.
Baptisia australis on 6-24-17, #349-13.
As you may know already, the common names for Baptisia australis are Blue False Indigo or Blue Wild Indigo. They are a native species in almost every state in the central and eastern United States. The genus is a little more widespread adding at least a few more states and part of eastern Canada. Flowers of native plants vary in color from shades of light to very dark blue. Plants grown from seed saved can also be different shades of blue. In other words, it is variable.
Baptisia australis on 7-9-17, #355-4.
I take a lot of photos just because that is what I do. I take photos to show how the plants grow during the summer and from one year to the next.
Baptisia australis on 7-19-17, #357-8.
For a while, the Salvia coccinea was growing among the Baptisia and were almost overshadowed. They didn’t seem to mind, though, and continued growing.
Baptisia australis on at 22″ tall x 24″ wide on 8-20-17, #367-2.
The leaves of the Baptisia australis are kind of a bluish-green color and remind me of alfalfa.
Baptisia australis on 10-31-17, #387-2.
Baptisia australis on 11-10-17, #391-1.
Even after several frosts, the Baptisia was still green. I piled up leaves around the base to help insulate the roots because I definitely want it to return in the spring. Eventually, it did get a good zap and went dormant. As you can see, The Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ to the left is covered with a big pot. I have been covering it up every night. It can be tricky.
<<<<2018>>>>
Baptisia australis on 2-18-18, #411-3.
January was very cold and I kept the Baptisia covered with leaves. I didn’t cut the dead stems off for several reasons. One is because they help keep the leaves on the plant. Some perennials need to have their stems left on so water won’t get inside their hollow stems over winter which can cause the roots to rot.
Baptisia australis on 3-3-18, #415-1.
When I checked under the leaves of the Baptisia on March 3, I saw it was sprouting…
Baptisia australis on 4-8-18, #423-3.
Several perennials had begun to emerge from their winter sleep, but with the temperatures still being pretty cold, they weren’t growing that much.
Baptisia australis on 4-13-18, #435-5.
Then as temps started warming up and staying that way they started growing.
Baptisia australis on 5-6-18, #436-5.
The Baptisia australis was doing very well by May 6 when the above photo was taken.
Baptisia australis on 5-6-18, #436-6.
This is when I started wondering if something was whacky with this plant being a Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’. Why are the buds a deep blue?
Baptisia australis on 5-11-18, #441-1.
Ummm… Something was definitely weird. Didn’t the description for Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ say “The flowers are initially a light lemon over cream color, then age first to cream, then to light and ultimately medium violet, producing a unique two- to three-toned color effect.”
I suppose it is very possible I missed the flowers when they were first opening, otherwise, I would have more photos. Maybe it isn’t as dramatic as I thought it would be since this is its first year of flowering.
Baptisia australis flowers on 5-11-18, #441-2.
You know, when you see photos of a plant in catalogs and online, you expect to get what you see. I suppose I shouldn’t be too quick to judge and say this plant was mislabeled yet. Let’s see what happens next year (if it survives the winter) and hopefully, I can pay much closer attention. I seem to have several unanswered questions that only observation can answer.
Baptisia australis on 5-25-18, #448-2.
After a few days, the flowers were no more. Ummm… Why didn’t they last longer and over a longer period of time? Very interesting. Now all I have is a HUGE plant overshadowing the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’.
Baptisia australis seed pods on 5-25-18, #448-3.
Then I noticed the HUGE peas!
Baptisia australis on 6-3-18, # 452-3.
Even after flowering, the Baptisia is a nice-looking plant. I think I goofed when I planted it here, though. It is really crowding out the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’. I don’t particularly want to move the Phlomis, though. Maybe I should move the Baptisia… That is just something to consider over the winter for next spring if they survive the winter and I am still here.
Baptisia australis seed pods on 6-3-18, #452-4.
After the flowers fade the seed pods form. They look like pea pods.
Baptisia australis seed pods on 6-3-18, #452-5.
BIG seed pods!
Baptisia australis seed pods on 6-3-18, #469-4.
Within a few days after the previous photo, the pods were black…
Baptisia australis and Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ in the southwest corner bed on 8-26-18, #499-5.
The Baptisia australis had grown so big it was almost covering up the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ in the southwest corner bed. I decided to give a good trimming…
<<<<2019>>>>
Baptisia australis on 3-10-19, #552-3.
The Baptisia has started coming up and will soon be growing like mad. I still may relocate it so it won’t overshadow the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’. I am going to keep a closer eye on this plant this year when its buds start to form and the flowers first open up.
Baptisia australis on 4-7-19, #558-6.
The wannabe Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ is still slowly but surely growing. Once the temps warm up it will really take off. I still want to move it…
Baptisia australis on 4-20-19, #560-6.
The Baptisia australis has grown A LOT since I took the last photos on April 7. I had to make a decision to move this plant to the southeast corner bed because it shades the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ too much. At least I think so although the Phlomis wasn’t complaining. ANYWAY, Saturday afternoon I took the shovel and stuck it in all the way around the clump to loosen the soil… Ummm… Baptisia has deep taproots and does not like to be disturbed so I was going to be very careful to get as much soil and as deep as I could. It would not budge! I thought I was going to break the shovel handle because the soil was so hard. So, I decided I would move the Phlomis to the southeast corner bed instead. It was not happy about that decision…
Baptisia australis on 4-22-19, #561-4.
Only two days after the previous photo was taken, I noticed the wannabe Baptisia australis had MANY buds!
Baptisia australis buds on 4-22-19, #561-5.
Now I will have to keep an eye on it…
Baptisia australis on 5-1-19, #564-6.
The Baptisia is LOADED with buds this year!
Baptisia australis on 5-1-19, #564-7.
Ummm… It is definitely NOT looking like a Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’. Well, I didn’t really expect it to change over the winter.
Baptisia australis on 5-5-19, #566-9.
NICE!
Baptisia australis on 5-5-19, #566-10.
It doesn’t really matter if this plant was mislabeled at this point. These flowers are AWESOME! There is no “maybe next year the flowers will be different” about it.
Baptisia australis on 5-5-19, #566-11.
Well, it does look like some of the Baptisia australis photos online, most are a lighter color of blue. Apparently, Baptisia australis is variable as far as the shade of blue goes.
Baptisia australis on 5-5-19, #566-12.
I am pretty sure this plant is a cultivar, but deciding which one is tough. Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ is a complex hybrid of several species, so how do I know this mislabeled plant isn’t a hybrid, too. It did go to seed last summer and none of them came up this spring. Apparently, from what I have read, growing Baptisia from seed can be difficult.
Baptisia australis on 5-13-19, #571-5.
No doubt about it, this is one beautiful plant! Baptisia australis, Blue False Indigo, was once used as a substitute for the real indigo, Indigofera tinctoria, for blue dye.
Baptisia australis on 5-13-19, #571-6.
The long flower scapes hold up well in wind and heavy rain. I have never had a problem with them flopping over. The photo above makes the flowers look a bit pale. But, I promise you, these flowers are a beautiful dark blue.
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-13-19, #571-7.
The photo shows how beautiful the blue color is on this plant. But, I promise you, the photo is a poor substitute for what the flowers look like in person.
There is a cultivar from Chicagoland Grows, like B. ‘Lunar Eclipse’, called ‘Blue Mound’. It is a cross between Baptisia australis var. australis x Baptisia australis var. minor. It is also part of the Prairieblues™ series from Chicagoland Grows. This is a likely candidate because the grower Green Street Market buys from likely grows both and the labels got screwed up. Hmmm… I sent an email to Jim Ault, Director of Ornamental Plant Research of the Chicago Botanic Garden to get his opinion. He is also the program manager of the Chicagoland introductions.
His reply… “It doesn’t look like B. australis ‘Blue Mound’. Blue Mound has finer foliage, and the plant is less upright and more rounded even at an early age than your images suggest. One other possibility. True Baptisia flower color is so hard to capture with digital. Is it possible your flowers look like the attached image, color-wise? If so, you may have another one of our intros, Baptisia ‘Royal ‘Purple’. This is a complex hybrid that was selected for its B. australis like vigor and habit, but with darker purple flowers.”
Well, my Baptisia is definitely NOT purple of any shade.
Baptisia australis on 5-25-19, #576-12.
Once the flowers fade, which doesn’t take as long as you would hope, the HUGE seed pods follow. Unfortunately, deadheading does not promote more flowers. Even though the seed pods are pretty big, the seeds inside are fairly small.
Baptisia australis on 6-5-19, #583-6.
After flowering, you can allow the plant to continue with the seed pods or you can cut the plant back by 1/3 or cut back to where the inflorescence begins (or began). 🙂 If you choose to leave the seed pods intact, they will turn black and add a little more color even though part of the winter. The stems can bend over because the pods can become heavy.
Baptisia australis seed pods on 6-9-19, #585-4.
How would you like to have peas that big?
<<<<2020>>>>
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 3-30-20, #681-9.
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-15-20, #700-3.
I was fairly busy during the summer of 2020 so I didn’t take many photos…
<<<<2021>>>>
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-1.
The Baptisia australis, or whatever you want to call it, did great in 2021. One of the common names for this species is Wild Blue Indigo and another name is Blue False Indigo. It may look wild, and the species is a Missouri Native but this plant is in a flower bed… Calling it a Blue False Indigo may be better suited since it wasn’t what it was supposed to be. However, it may also be a hybrid of other species. GEEZ!
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-2.
You have to admit, whatever it is, the flowers are really nice…
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-3.
How about a better close-up?
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-4.
Using the magnifying glass in front of the lens can get some very good photos but it takes patience and practice…
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-5.
Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) on 5-23-21, #798-7.
I will continue adding more photos and information as time goes by.
If you have Baptisia with flowers this color and you know the cultivar name, please send me an email at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. You can also send an email from the CONTACT ME above. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant or other useful information. If you notice I made an error, please let me know.
The Belmont Rooster 