False Indigo Occupies an Unique Niche in Early North Fork History

When we start poking into plant histories, it is fascinating what turns up. Baptisia australis, otherwise known as Blue False Indigo now there’s a name. Baptisia comes from Greek to dip or dunk; australis derives from the word for 'southern' in Latin. A native of North America, the plant actually has nothing to do with "Australia". It is a member of the pea family which explains the distinctive shafts of striking cobalt flowers. At one time Native Americans used the flowers to make dyes (Cherokee) and medicine (Osage). Though the results are not as potent as the dyes made from the true indigo plant, Indigofera tinctoria, European settlers also learned to use False or Wild Indigo as a dye from the Native peoples.

Blue False Indigo grows to a bushy 2 to 3-foot high and 2-foot wide. While technically a wildflower, it can be a striking addition to any perennial garden. The flower stalks are great in bouquets. I only have one plant in my beds and large as it is, that is enough. It happily dominates the back of a narrow bed on the desert-like western side of our house.

If you are looking for a tall and elegant addition to your garden, Blue False Indigo can be a good choice. The plant is an interesting conversation piece---part of the lore of our early colonial period.