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Baptisia australis |
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| Balloony pods in early June |
Common name |
false indigo |
Family |
fabaceae |
Life cycle |
perennial (Z3-9) |
Flowers |
blue |
Size |
3-4' |
Light |
sun |
Cultural notes |
drought-tolerant |
Seed ripens | mid-July |
Most gardeners who grow just one species of baptisia grow this one. True enough, this was the first one we purchased, too - except that our plant turned out to have white flowers, and be B. alba var. alba instead. Our efforts to produce the masses of blue flowers of the more common species were quite long in waiting: we grew several plants from seed a good number of years ago, but they stayed small year after year. Finally, a couple years ago they decided to grow bigger and actually bloom. Of course I had to follow their progress from buds to flowers. With a bit of luck, they'll be as big and billowing as specimens I've seen in other gardens sometime in the future. Thus far, they haven't attained the stature of 3-4 ft that a mature well-grown specimen will reach.
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| This seed-grown plant started blooming when it was still small, making me wonder if it is var. minor. I'll be watching how it develops |
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We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston. Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Baptisia australis
Visitors to this page have left the following commentsMelissa Adams | Jul 02, 2011 | I planted this as a quart sized perennial 2 or 3 years ago. This year it bloomed (sort of) One single "spire" approx. 2 inches above the plant. Upon further investigation, there were several purple flowers scattered around the inner areas. Can hardly wait for next year! (that is, IF, the weather ever straightens up!!) P.S. it is planted in mostly clay in a "drought area" But, since shortly afterwards, EVERYTHING, is water logged. Then, past 2 days 100 degrees F outside. |
- Seed from '01 trade. Baggy 70F-75F (3-6w; 33%G overall; swelling is followed by germination; warmth helps)
- Seed from '09 garden. Sandpapered, baggy 75F (58%G, 35-61d)
- Seed from '09 garden. Sandpapered, baggy 75F (11w; 10%G, 6-10w) - 80F (52%G, 1-3w)
- Seed from 'Purple Smoke' hybrid. Immersed in boiling water, soaked 1d. Baggy 75F (31%G, 13-40d). More would probably have germinated with scarification.
Seed for plain species from '12 garden. Immersed in boiling water, soaked 1d, baggy 75F (50%G, 14-50d). Much of the germination occurred after moving the baggy to a slightly warmer location.
- Seed from '13 garden. Sandpapered, baggy 75F (18%G, 15-35d). Did not apply enough heat to get the majority of the seeds to germinate.
- Seed from '14 garden (DB mid). Sandpapered, baggy 75F (64%G, 4-14d)
Nice and warm temperature really helps germination.
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Last modified:
November 10, 2017
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