Approximately 25 seeds per packet
Collected: 2024
Packaged: 2025
Germination code: i ♨ or ✄ 10-60C
Please refer to our germination codes and growing information for recommendations and tips.
Inoculant recommended: This species requires inoculant microbes to be present in the growing media to grow past the seedling phase. If growing in containers with a sterile potting mix, add a small (tablespoon) amount of native topsoil to the media to accomplish this. Often not needed if germinating directly into native soil. Inoculant strains are commercially available online.
Seed treatment recommended: This species germinates with a combination of scarification and cold moist stratification. For Baptisia, we recommend a 8-24 hour hot (not boiling) water soak, or a light sanding/knicking of the seed coat, followed by 10-60 days of cold stratification to break dormancy. Sowing without scarification in outdoor containers in the fall is an option, with germination typically occuring in the spring.
Legumes from seed take patience! Legumes such as Baptisia spend their first couple of years focusing on developing their stout, deep roots, and little attention is paid to growing foliage or flowering. Plants will be small from years 1-3, with adolescent plants growing larger and usually flowering in years 3-4 and beyond.
Seeds of this species appreciate being covered by a thin layer of soil or buried when sown to aid in germination. A general rule of thumb is to cover them with a layer of soil no more than two to three times their width. However, it's better to plant seeds shallow, and most seeds will germinate even if surface sown. (Optional) Sprinkling a layer of sterile sand or vermiculite overtop the soil and sown seeds usually won't negatively impact germination, and may help to maintain soil moisture and deter mold.
Baptisia australis (False blue indigo) Seed Packet
Virginia ecotype
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Upright, clumping
Size: 3-5 ft. high, half as wide
Flowering time: May, Jun, Jul
Bloom color: Blue, violet
Habitat: Open meadows, prairies, and along streams
Moisture: Dry to moist, well draining
Light: Full sun
Soils: Sandy, loamy, rocky
Uses: single specimen, borders, areas with poor/rocky soils, boulevard gardensFalse blue indigo is a celebrated and cultivated member of the legume (bean and pea) family. It sprouts stalks early in the season, bushing out with clover-like leaves, and is prized for its blue-violet spires of spring to summer blooms and interesting seed heads that last into winter. It prefers well draining sandy or rocky soils, but is adaptable so long as the soil is well draining.
Contrary to this plant's popularity in cultivation, natural occurances of Baptisia australis in Virginia are becoming scarce. This is due to habitat loss, but it can be found in rocky open woodlands, gravel prairies, and rocky banks of rivers. Natural occurances of wildfire may have been a contributing factor in promoting wild populations.
Historically, Native Americans and later early settlers used the plant as a substitute for true indigo to produce blue dye. The seed heads were once used as baby rattles. It is highly drought-tolerant due to its deep taproot, making it suitable for xeriscaping and low-maintenance gardens.
Deep-rooted plants such as Baptisia can take a couple of years to build their roots and grow in size when young, so have patience with it and watch it grow each year!