Alright, let’s gab about this wild blue indigo, or whatever them fancy folks call it, baptisia australis. Sounds like a mouth full of marbles to me, but hey, what do I know? I just call it the pretty blue flower that grows out back.
So, when do you stick this thing in the ground? Well, don’t be a fool and plant it when there’s still frost on the pumpkin. Wait till things warm up a bit in the spring, you know, after the cold snaps are done. Or, if you live in them warmer places, you can put ‘em in the ground in the early fall. Makes sense, right? Don’t want them little plants freezing their butts off.
Now, this here flower, it ain’t no wimpy little thing. It grows up tall and proud, like three or four feet high, maybe even taller if it’s feeling sassy. You’ll mostly find it in places with good dirt, you know, them rich woods. But it’s not too picky, I reckon. It’ll grow even if the dirt ain’t the best.
- Some folks call it blue wild indigo. Others call it indigo weed or rattleweed. Some even call it rattlebush or horse fly weed. Land sakes, so many names for one little flower! But it’s all the same thing, that pretty blue baptisia australis.
Them Native Americans, they were smart cookies. They used this flower for all sorts of things. If your tummy was acting up, they’d give you some. If you had a toothache, bam, blue indigo to the rescue! And if your eyes were feeling itchy, they’d wash ‘em out with it. Pretty handy stuff, I tell ya.
Now, about the dirt… this flower likes it well-drained and deep and rich. But don’t go fretting if your dirt ain’t perfect. This blue indigo, it’s tougher than it looks. It’ll grow even if the dirt’s a bit poor. Ain’t that something?
Here’s somethin’ interesting. This plant, it’s like a little helper for the dirt. It’s got this special thing going on with little critters in the ground, and together they make the dirt better. It’s like the plant is feeding the dirt, making it strong and healthy. So not only do you get pretty flowers, you get good dirt too! It’s what they call a nitrogen-fixing plant, fancy words for a dirt helper.
Growing this baptisia australis ain’t rocket science, you know. Just find a sunny spot, dig a hole, and stick it in the ground. Water it regular-like, especially when it’s hot and dry. And don’t forget to give it some room to grow, cause like I said, it gets tall.
And there you have it. Everything you need to know about this wild blue indigo, or whatever you wanna call it. It’s a pretty flower, it’s tough, and it’s good for the dirt. What more could you ask for?
One last thing, if you want more of these flowers, you can collect the seeds after the flowers are done blooming. Let them dry out real good, then plant ‘em in the spring. Easy peasy. You’ll have a whole field of blue indigo before you know it.
So go on, get yourself some baptisia australis. You won’t regret it. It’ll make your yard look purdy, and it’ll make you feel good knowing you’re helping the dirt too. And that’s a good thing, right? Always gotta take care of the land, just like the land takes care of us.
Now, I gotta go get back to my chores. But you remember what I told ya about that wild blue indigo. It’s a good plant, a strong plant, and a pretty plant. And that’s the truth, plain and simple.
Tags: [wild blue indigo, baptisia australis, planting, growing, care, native plants, nitrogen-fixing, blue flowers, perennial, garden]
