Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' ~ 'Purple Smoke' Baptisia, False Indigo

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' ~ 'Purple Smoke' Baptisia, False IndigoPurple Smoke Baptisia is an upright perennial native with clover like grey green foliage on charcoal stems. The slightly arching raceme sporting smokey lavender flowers extend well above the foliage in mid spring. The blooms give way to large seedpods that blacken when ripe, providing ornamental interest. 'Purple Smoke' is a tough, drought tolerant plant that grows best with dry to average well drained acidic soils.. Its abundant flowers are excellent

Purple Smoke Baptisia is an upright perennial native with clover-like grey-green foliage on charcoal stems.  The slightly arching raceme sporting smokey lavender flowers extend well above the foliage in mid-spring.  The blooms give way to large seedpods that blacken when ripe, providing ornamental interest.  'Purple Smoke' is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that grows best with dry to average well-drained acidic soils..  Its abundant flowers are excellent pollination and butterfly attractors.  

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:   Low maintenance plant. Prefers acidic soils but can grow in neutral or alkaline soils.  Can take poor or rocky soils and is drought tolerant but soils must drain well. Gains a more shrub-like appearance after established if not pruned. Plants may grow taller in shade, which may require staking.  If need to trim back do so after bloom.  

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Wildlife Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Native Gardens, Foundation Plantings, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Coneflower,  Bee Balm, Meadow Sage

IMAGES: normanack, Baptisia Purple Smoke (1), CC BY 2.0, (2) normanack, Baptisia Purple Smoke, CC BY 2.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.