Baptisia (false indigo)

Texas is blessed with an abundance of wildflowers, many of which are suitable for inclusion in the

cultivated landscape. Too often these plants are not given their due consideration. We see them in

vacant lots, pastures and along the highway right of ways so they appear commonplace.

The Baptisia, or false indigo, is one of these plants that does well in the landscape. They are not as

available commercially as some more mainstream plants. Baptisias are perennial shrubs that are

members of the Fabaceae (legume) family. The flowers are typically pea-like and can be found in white, yellow and blue. The flowers appear on spikes of blooms somewhat like lupines (e.g., bluebonnets). In fact, some gardeners substitute false indigos for lupines in their landscapes. The flower spikes are between 12 and 24 inches in length. A mature plant may hold as many as 100 spikes in full bloom. The blooming period is from April through July with the blooms lasting three to six weeks. The foliage is an attractive blue-green, yellow-green to greygreen depending upon the variety. The leaves have a clover-like appearance. Although the leaves die back to the ground each winter, the foliage is dense and attractive giving the appearance of a rounded shrub. The leaves rapidly turn black in the fall which some gardeners find attractive and leave them on the plant for winter interest. In the late fall, the above ground portion of the plant turns silvery-grey. It often breaks off at ground level and tumbles about in the wind. The black, fat seed pods are collected for dried arrangements.

The native range in Texas of the false indigo is the north central portion and is also found in the eastern part of the panhandle. Their attraction lies not only in their appearance but also in the fact that they are tough and drought resistant after becoming established. The false indigo tolerates most well drained garden soils. Its native range consists of prairie and plains clay.

The false indigo is virtually pest and disease free and is reported to be deer resistant. The only major

pest is a small weevil that attacks the seeds but not the plant itself. An occasional caterpillar may be

seen on the plants, but these are the larvae of several species of butterfly that use the plants as a host.

In fact, these plants produce alkaloid compounds that are toxic to many insects making them especially attractive to the organic gardener.

Baptisias reproduce sexually by seeds and asexually by rhizomes. It is also possible to propagate these plants by stem cuttings, but the favored method is by seeds. The false indigo puts down a long tap root making it difficult to divide the mother plant or to successfully move the plant. It is best to put the plants where they are to stay. They are long-lived plants so careful planning is required to

accommodate a 3 to 4 feet wide and up to 6 feet tall plant. Propagating by seeds involves obtaining

fresh seeds. Mature, viable seeds are brownish, hard and rounded. They are usually gathered about six weeks after flowering and stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator. Like most hard seeds they require scarifying and soaking before planting. The folks at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens

recommend pouring almost boiling water over the seeds and soaking them for six to eight hours before planting in a standard potting mix. The seeds sprout in 20 to 30 days. When they are ready to be moved to the garden, be sure to select a location that receives at least six hours of sun a day. Indigos develop slowly at first taking up to three years to flower. After they become established, they develop rather rapidly.

The wild blue indigo’s sap turns purple when exposed to air and is a fair substitute for the true indigo in making blue dye. The Cherokees used the false indigo as a source of blue dye and later taught it to the settlers. Native Americans have also used it for several medicinal purposes such as making tea from the roots for use as a purgative, holding it in the mouth as a toothache treatment, using cold tea to stop vomiting and using a root poultice as an anti-inflammatory. However, the seeds and most other parts of the plant are considered toxic although no fatalities have been reported.