A catalog of Native North American Plants : Baptisia austalis

Common name: Blue wild -Indigo, Blue False Indigo

It is a flowering plant belonging to the pea family. It is native to much of central and eastern North America and is particularly common in the Midwest, but it has also been introduced well beyond its natural range. Naturally it can be found growing wild at the borders of woods, along streams or in open meadows.

It’s a perennial plant growing 1 to 1.5 meters in height and is recognizable by the grey-green trifoliate leaves that are arranged alternately and pea like flowers at the top of the stem, ranging in shades of blue to deep violet. The flowers, which bloom from spring to summer depending on the region.

The fruit is a bluish black inflated and hardened pod that ranges from 2.5 to 7.5 cm in length, oblong in shape with a sharply tipped apex. At maturity they will contain many loose seeds within. The seeds are yellowish brown, kidney shaped and about 2 mm. Once the seeds are fully mature the stem turns silver grey and breaks off from the root. These stems with the pods attached get blown around with the wind. The seed are toxic.

Several Native Indian tribes have made use of the plant for a variety of purposes. The Cherokees used it as a source of blue dye, a practice later copied by European settlers

 The leaves print well on paper and fabric with an alum mordant and iron or copper blanket.

 Dye Colors: Black, Brown, Green, Yellow