Baptisia australis Blue Wild Indigo

Ohio Native Plant Natural Range


To view the natural range of Baptisia australis visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website.
Yes, Blue Wild Indigo truly are this stunning!

Cultivation Information Blue Wild Indigo

Baptisia australis seeds are the shape of tiny beans
Height - 3 to 4 ftBlooms - May - JulySun - Full Sun to Light ShadeHardy Zone - 4 to 9Flower Color - Blue Perennial Plant Spacing - 2 ft at least - over time Wild Blue indigo develops into a nice sized bush Family - Fabaceae, Pea Family
Historically Speaking
The Cherokee people, used Blue Wild Indigo plants to dye their clothing blue and as tea. Another tribe the Osage who were originally from the Ohio River area used indigo as an eye wash. Dried pods - Young children enjoyed playing with dried seed as they make a fun, entertaining sound. Packaging - One Christmas my sister-in-law packed her home- made jam in dried Baptisia australis pods. Talk about recyclable packaging! We are certainly not recommending that you use our plants for anything other than a means of improving the soil and providing food for pollinators.
Seed Provenance Baptisia australis
Moon Eagle Arndt's and Craig Dahlin's property - Germanville, PA 2011 - 2012 - Prairie Moon Nursery - Winona, MN - 2010 - Nodding Onion Gardens 2016 - Present

Both Baptisia australis and green bean are in the Fabaceae family- this explains why the leaves look so familiar
Wildlife Significance Blue Wild Indigo
Host - (larvae) Plant for numerousbutterflies/moths.skippers- Eastern tailed blue (butterfly), Northern Sulphurs, Wild Indigo Duskwings (skipper), Clouded Sulphurs, Eastern Tailed Blue, Hoary Edge and the Gray Hairstreak.
Nectar Source - Long and Short-tongued bees, Butterflies
Seeds - Chickadees love them
Deer - Deer are not fond of this plant
For more detailed information on Blue Wild Indigo, visit the Illinois Wildflower website
Courtesy of Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Photo by © Nancy Piltch
Eastern Tailed Blue
Wild indigo duskywing
Wild Blue Indigo grow rather slowly, these are second season plants
Propagation Notes Wild Blue Indigo
Stratifying - Scarify Seed
Storage - Cold dry until planting Scarify Seed - Preparation - File end of seed with emery board - dipped in species specific rhizobium inoculum Stratify Seed - 10 days cold moist storage Seeds Planted - 3-1-2012Sprouted - 3-6-2012 -Night Temperature - 61 - 63°FDay Temperature - 64 - 65°F - Under florescent lights
Ohio Department of Agriculture Nursery Inspection 2010 - 2023
© 2023 Nodding Onion Gardens, LLCColumbia Station, Ohio 44028I