Baptisia australis, It's to Dye For!
Posted by Emerald Coast Growers on Sep 25th 2026
The native known as “false indigo” has deep roots – in the garden, and in American history.
Now an ornamental favorite, it was once prized and even subsidized by the British government for the blue dye made from its sap.
Baptisia makes a striking late-spring statement, sending up tall, upright racemes of lupine-like blooms in rich shades of deep purple and vibrant blue. As the flowers fade, decorative green seed pods emerge and mature to a dramatic charcoal black, extend