Prairieblues Blue Mound False Indigo (Baptisia australis 'Blue Mound')
bap-TIZ-ee-ah oss-TRAL-iss 'Blue Mound'

Deciduous Perennial in the Fabaceae Family

Baptisia australis, commonly called blue wild indigo or blue false indigo, is a long-lived North American prairie perennial in the pea family and the best-known member of its genus in gardens -- named the Perennial Plant of the Year in 2010. It forms a rounded, shrub-like clump of blue-green, trifoliate foliage, 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, topped in late spring with upright spikes of indigo-blue, pea-shaped flowers. The flowers give way to inflated seed pods that ripen to charcoal-black and rattle in the wind, valued for dried arrangements.

A single deep taproot anchors the plant and makes it extremely drought tolerant once established, but also means it cannot be divided and resents being transplanted -- plan on two to three years before a young plant reaches full size and bloom.

Pros

  • Long-lived, extremely low-maintenance native perennial once established
  • Deep taproot brings excellent drought tolerance
  • 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year; a genus-defining garden plant
  • Larval host for the Wild Indigo Duskywing and several other butterfly species

Cons

  • Slow to establish -- can take 2-3 years to reach full size and bloom
  • Cannot be divided and resents transplanting once mature
  • Tall flower spikes may need staking, especially in partial shade
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 3 - 4 feet wide.
Moisture Tolerance - Medium
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period May to June
Flower Color
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 05/17
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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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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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!