Baptisia australis

Blue wild indigo or blue false indigo. Looking like a blue lupin but with flower stems distributed throughout the plant, is in the pea family too and from America Used extensively by the new wave perennial movement in many beautiful gardens I visited in the Uk and Europe. Useful as a meadow plant. Tolerant shading as it is often found on woodland edges and stream margins, but best in the sun.

It spreads by rhizomes so keep under control in a smaller space. If you want to remove it altogether use a bit of herbicide painted onto the cut stems. Saves lots of fruitless digging. Think about planting it in a very large pot dug into the ground in a smaller perennial setting to enjoy its exuberance. Since they run deep so it is capable of withstanding drought. If it looses its leaves in the dry trim it back ready for a new flush when it rains. They make an unusual blue sap as it dries so it was used by Americans as a dye and its name means dye in Greek. Do not eat the leaves, seeds or pods. Baptisia also make a perfect companion for early spring flowering bulbs, as they can be timed so that their stalks emerge just after the bulbs have finished. Baptisias develop such a thick canopy of foliage that it would be hard to achieve a simultaneous display of later bulbs and Baptisia.   1m tall, 1m wide.

9cm pot