Royal Purple Prairieblues False Indigo (Baptisia 'Royal Purple')
bap-TIZ-ee-ah 'Royal Purple'

Deciduous Perennial Broad, Rounded Mound in the Fabaceae Family
 
Buy Royal Purple Prairieblues False Indigo
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $16.31 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A Prairieblues false indigo from the Chicago Botanic Garden, prized for its richly saturated, dark violet-purple flower spikes held above broad, rounded mounds of blue-green foliage.

Baptisia 'Royal Purple' is a Prairieblues series false indigo bred by Dr. Jim Ault at the Chicago Botanic Garden and introduced through the Chicagoland Grows plant introduction program. It was selected in 2009 from a 2004 cross between two complex interspecific Baptisia hybrids, one derived from B. australis x leucophaea, the other from B. australis x sphaerocarpa. Long flower spikes open a deeply saturated, dark violet-purple in late spring, held well above attractive blue-green foliage that forms a broad, rounded mound. Dark seed pods follow the bloom and add interest into fall.

Pros

  • Exceptionally saturated, dark violet-purple flower color
  • Vigorous grower that forms a broad, rounded mound
  • Drought tolerant once established
  • Attracts butterflies and other pollinators

Cons

  • Slow to establish and resents transplanting once its deep taproot forms
  • Takes two to three years to reach full flowering size
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 4 - 5 feet wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 4a - 7b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period May To June
Flower Color Dark Violet-Purple
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 09/20
2024 : 05/01 - 09/21
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!