![]() Fall pruning, especially in colder climates, can result in a quick flush of new growth that prevents dormancy and makes winter freezes potentially deadly. Cutting back will promote new growth, giving you a healthier plant with stronger stems.įalse Indigo reliably blooms on the seasons new growth, so prune to the ground during late winter or very early spring before growth starts. Blue False Indigo has an upright growth, pea-like blue flowers followed by dark, shiny pea pods and attractive foliage. For 2010 this is Baptisia australis, or blue false indigo. Every year the Perennial Plant Association chooses a plant of the year. In warmer climates, cut it back in the spring before it begins to bud. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia Australis) Native to the United States, False Indigo grows well from flower seeds, and historically the plants used to be in demand for the dye that was made from the blue flowers. A specimen plant of blue false indigo in bloom. In colder climates, cut it back as one of the last chores in your garden before the snow flies. Cut back False Indigo to within 6 inches of the ground after it has finished flowering. Remove the brown stems and leaves to give your plant a healthier and more attractive appearance. Deadheading also prevents False Indigo from spreading through your yard, as it can be an effective self-seeder when the dead flowers are allowed to dry completely and go to seed this would cause problems for your garden as the seedling would not be False Indigo. ![]() This procedure, called deadheading, encourages the agastache plant to produce new flowers, keeping your plant looking attractive throughout the season. A native North American wildflower, False Indigo is an excellent choice for sunny gardens all over the continent. Remove the old flowers of False Indigo as they become brown and unattractive. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid soft growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects. Be careful with products such as miracle-grow as these products can burn newly planted plants when not used at the recommended rates. Espoma products are easy to use, just sprinkle around the base of the plant and water it in. Follow this up with another early summer application of Espoma Flower-Tone, this will again provide the necessary nutrients to promote a flush of beautiful flowers. Apply an early spring fertilizer with a product such as Espoma Plant-Tone at the recommended rate this will give the plant a boost of nitrogen potash that will be needed for healthy foliage and stem growth. Our ideal fertilizer schedule for you to use is as follows. Espoma Bio-tone starter fertilizer is the best product to use at the time of planting. ![]() We recommend feeding your False Indigo in the very early spring and again in mid summer after all new growth has hardened off and it begins to set flower buds. It is deer-resistant.Feeding your plants is probably the single most forgotten part of growing healthy long lasting plants. Wildlife: False blue indigo supports several species of moths, butterflies, and other insects. A native North American wildflower, False Indigo is an excellent choice for sunny gardens all over the continent. Use for: mass plantings, accents, hedges, cut flowers, rain gardens, and pollinator gardens. Examples include: ‘Lemon Meringue’ (yellow), ‘Vanilla Cream’ (ivory), and ‘Cherries Jubilee’ (maroon), to name a few. Talabac, UMEĬultivated varieties of false blue indigo offer different flower colors and more compact forms that grow to only 2.5’-3’ tall. Native false blue indigo is a herbaceous perennial with a shrub-like growth habit. The above-ground growth of false indigo dies with the first hard freeze and can be pruned down to the ground in late fall or early spring. One of its common names, rattlebush, refers to the rattle sound made by the ornamental dried seed pods. This plant was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes and to make a blue dye. A patch of Baptisia australis in full bloom is a sight to behold - reminiscent of exotic lupines or Texas bluebonnets on steroids. In late spring, blue to indigo pea-shaped flowers are held aloft on upright flower stalks. The medium blue flowers bloom for about 2-3 weeks in May-June and are followed by pea-like green pods that turn black in the fall. CHECK AVAILABILITY FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Baptisia australis is a dense shrubby perennial with attractive blue-green leaves. In the garden, this herbaceous perennial plant grows into an attractive shrub-like form. Garden Uses: False blue indigo (Baptisia australis) is native to Maryland but now rare in its natural habitat - woodlands, streambanks, and floodplains of the Piedmont and Mountain regions. Soil: sandy-rocky soil tolerates clay pH < 6.8 Maryland Distribution: Mountain and Piedmont regions status is now rare/threatenedįlowers: showy blue flowers on 10”-12” long spikes in May-June insect-pollinated, primarily by bumblebeesįall color: none leaves turn black at the first fall freeze
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