Wild indigo

Baptisia comes from North America, belongs to the legume family, and resembles lupine in appearance. Unlike lupine, however, it does not suffer from fungal diseases and does not taste as good to slugs. Besides the blue flowers, the large pods that adorn the plant long after flowering are interesting. North American Indians used Baptisia roots to disinfect wounds and lower fever, and leaves to dye fabrics. With Baptisia, patience is most important; it takes some time to fully establish and create a massive root system adapted to survive long periods of drought and fire. Then it is very long-lived. It was chosen as the Perennial of the Year for the 2019 season.

Baptisia comes from North America, belongs to the legume family, and resembles the lupine in appearance. Unlike lupines, however, it does not suffer from fungal diseases and does not taste as good to slugs. In addition to the blue flowers, the large pods are interesting, decorating the plant long after flowering. Native Americans used Baptisia roots to disinfect wounds and reduce fever, and the leaves to dye fabrics. Patience is key with Baptisia; it takes some time to fully establish and create a massive root system adapted to survive long periods of drought and fire. Then it is very long-lived. It was voted Perennial of the Year for the 2019 season. The elegant pure white 'Alba' also has slightly lighter leaves.