Blue false indigo is an upright perennial which typically grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with a mound of clover-like, bluish-green leaves that densely cover green stems. Spring-blooming, purple, lupine-like flowers form in erect racemes atop flower spikes extending well above the foliage. Flowers give way to seed pods which turn charcoal black when ripe and the stems with the pods make interesting additions to flower arrangements. Common name refers to the use of this as a substitute, albeit an inferior one, for true indigo (genus Indigofera of the West Indies) in making blue dyes. The smaller western form, Baptisia australis var. minor, is a mid-west native which typically grows to about 1/2 the size of the species. Both are very slow to establish.
Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, though best growth is in full sun. Tolerates drought and poor soils. Over time, plants develop slowly expanding clumps with deep and extensive root systems, and should not be disturbed once established. May be grown from seed, but takes several years to establish. Plants tend to get a bit floppy, and so trimming a bit after flowering will keep it tidier, though in doing so you'll lose the interesting seed pods.