 herb in the pea family (Fabaceae) valued for its blue flowering spikes that appear in the UK from May to July. In the wild it grows at woodland edges, beside streams and in open meadows. It spreads both by seed and by creeping rhizomes. Parasitic weevils frequently infest the seed pods, so seed-set can be low.

Baptisia australis var. minor sits in the Fabaceae and is one of several Baptisia taxa grown for summer flower display; its common name Blue Wild Indigo reflects the colour of the blooms and its historical use as a dye substitute. Wild populations occur at the margins of woods, along waterways and across open meadows, and the species reproduces sexually by seed and vegetatively via spreading rhizomes. Plant where it can form a lasting clump and allow space for the rhizomes to spread; specimens perform well in open or lightly sheltered positions where the flower spikes are visible. Propagation by division of the rhizomes will produce true plants more rapidly than seed, and sowing is possible though seed viability can be reduced by parasitic weevils that attack the pods. Use in perennial borders, wildlife-friendly beds or naturalistic meadow planting, where the blue flowers from May to July provide seasonal structure. Note that the plant has low toxicity for people, so handle seeds and foliage with basic caution. In established stands the combination of rhizome spread and occasional poor seed set due to weevils shapes long-term population dynamics.

Baptisia australis var. minor is a perennial herb in the pea family (Fabaceae) valued for its blue flowering spikes that appear in the UK from May to July. In the wild it grows at woodland edges, beside streams and in open meadows. It spreads both by seed and by creeping rhizomes. Parasitic weevils frequently infest the seed pods, so seed-set can be low.

Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor) is a perennial Fabaceae member flowering in the UK from May to July.

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