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Herbaceous Perennial

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'

false indigo 'Purple Smoke'

A clump-forming, deciduous herbaceous perennial with green leaves on almost black stems and grey-purple pea-like flowers which appear on long, upright stems from April until June. The seed pods and stems provide winter interest if not cut back in the autumn

Synonyms

Baptisia australis 'Purple Smoke'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
Genus: Baptisia are perennials with branched stems bearing three-parted leaves and terminal or axillary racemes of pea flowers, followed by conspicuous inflated pods
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in open, porous, preferably sandy soil in full sun; drought resistant once roots have penetrated the soil. Best left undisturbed, although vigorous clumps may be carefully divided in spring

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe or propagate by division in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Prairie planting
Wildlife gardens
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds
Cut flowers
Banks and slopes

Pruning

Cut down once foliage has blackened. Can leave over winter for stem and seed-pod interest

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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