Baptisia australis (L.) R. Br.

Blue false indigo, false indigo, blue wild indigo

Blue false indigo vs. real indigo

	Baptisia tinctoria	You are here Baptisia australis
Common Name	wild indigo	blue false indigo
Plant	Wild indigo is multiply branched and somewhat unruly, sometimes matted in appearance, 1–3′ (30–91 cm) high. In Martha’s Vineyard, MA, it forms a ball-shaped cluster that breaks off when it dries out in the fall and rolls around like tumbleweed.	3–5′ (1–1.5 m) high, and about 1½–3′ (50–100 cm) around. When broken, the hairless stems secrete a fluid that turns dark purple on contact with air. (It is this reaction, not the flowers, that resulted in its use for dye.)
Leaves	alternate, silvery green, in triplets similar to clover. Each leaflet is ¼″ (6.3 mm) long.	In groups of three, each about 1″ (2.5 cm) long, and green, bluish green, or grayish green.
Flowers	Clusters of yellow, pea-like flowers appear in July.	It’s pea-like flowers, appearing at or in a spike near the top, vary in color from light blue to dark purple.
Fruit	Small inflated seed pods turn black when ripe. Seeds rattling around in the ripe pods prompted the common name “rattleweed.”	Fruits are bluish-black hard pods ⅞–3 ⨉ ⅜–⅞″ (2.5–7.5 ⨉ 1.3–2.5 cm) in size. Seeds rattling in the dried seedpods have tricked more than one person into thinking a rattlesnake is nearby.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-9	USDA Zones: 3-8
Habitats	Dry open woods and clearings.	Rich woods, thickets, meadows, stream banks.

Baptisia australis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.