Full Sun
ORPartial Sun
Medium
Partly self supporting and scrambles amongst other plants in the border
Soak seeds in hot water 80C and allow them to continue standing in the water for 12 hours. Use 3 parts compost to 1 part grit or perlite, use 5 seeds per 8cm pot to prevent overcrouding and discourage damping off. Cover with 3-5mm only. Germinte at room temperature. Alternatively, fresh seed can be soaked as before but planted in the late summer in a cold frame and over wintered until the following spring
Plant out after hardening off gradually over 3 weeks, after all frost has passed. Prefer a well drained sunny position
As False blue indigo is half hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.Seeds are brown and can be harvested from ripened pods in late summer or early autumn. Seeds are brown and 2mm diameter. Seeds will germinate best if sown soon after harvesting and keeping them outside to stratify.
These estimates for how long False blue indigo takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 78 days | Min 61 days | Max 112 days (2)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average 29 days | Min 10 days | Max 1129 days (3)
Indigo refers to its use as a substitute dye plant for true indigo, it is not as good a blue dye as true indigo.1
As well as its use as a dye plant, it has been used in traditional north American medicine for fevers, sepsis, skin problems and inflammation. It is however toxic.
Blue wild indigo
Baptisia australis (L.) R. Br. var. aberrans (Larisey) M. Mendenhall