False Indigo

False Indigo  (Baptisia)

False Indigo (Baptisia)'s are Lupin-like plants with thick, strong roots. This is one of the reasons it can take a few years for these plants to fully mature. Once established, it will last for years. Better not to keep moving it about. Many species of False Indigo produce apart from pea-like flowers also nice pea pods which stay on the plant for a long time. False Indigo likes a spot in the sun or light shade in a normal to dry soil. In acidic soil the plant will struggle. A lot of new colours have come to market in the last few years, so you should find a right colour for any border. False Indigo is very good for in a prairie garden, combined with Helen's Flower (Helenium) and ornamental grasses. In the past the foliage of False Indigo was used to produce a bleu dye.