Once established, it is a long-lived perennial, but it is hard to propagate or transplant.
False Indigo (Baptisia 'Purple Smoke') is a larval host plant for the Wild Indigo Duskywing Skipper and Henry's Elfin Butterflies.
Dr. Jim Ault at the Chicago Botanic Garden introduced this outstanding Baptisia hybrid between B. australis (Blue Wild Indigo) and B. sphaerocarpa (yellow Baptisia). This one has 3 to 4 foot tall spikes of dark mahogany/violet flowers with yellow keels or bases. When in flower in late spring and early summer, it is loaded with flowers. As with other Baptisias, give this plant full sun and average to dry soil. It is long lived, drought tolerant, pest free, and colorful.
White False Indigo works well as a summertime hedge or as a group of plants toward the rear of the garden. Spikes of rich white pea-like flowers rise above bluish-green foliage in early summer. The upper parts of the spikes and the bracts holding the flowers are charcoal gray, so the color combination is beautiful. The plant needs average moisture. It resents being disturbed so plant it where it can remain for years. Flowers can be used as unusual fresh cut flowers. (Sunlight Gardens)
Hosts the Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Frosted Elfin, Eastern Tailed Blue, Hoary Edge, and Wild Indigo Duskywing butterflies.
My plants took a while to get established, but on year 3 they really took off. It does need some space once it starts to mature. This particular variety has done especially well for me; love the color of it. It seems quite tolerant of heat and not particularly fussy about watering conditions. Mine has survived both drought and floods.
Water needs: dry to medium.
