Blueberry Sundae has deep indigo blue flowers that are more vibrant than the common blue false indigo, held over a compact, upright mound. The floral display in late spring to early summer is strong and even.
Its deep blue-green leaves stay handsome all summer, and ornamental seed pods carry interest into fall. It flowers at about three feet tall, fitting smaller gardens better than the species, though mature clumps can reach three and a half feet tall and spread five to six feet wide. It is vigorous, long lived and drought tolerant once established, and deer avoid it.
What it looks like
Upright spikes 8 to 12 inches long of pea-shaped flowers in deep, saturated indigo blue, held evenly above the foliage. Leaves are three-parted with oval leaflets in deep blue-green, densely covering the stems. The plant is a dense, upright mound about 32 to 36 inches tall and 3 feet wide at flowering, widening to 5 or 6 feet at maturity. At peak bloom the mound is topped with rich blue spikes; dark seed pods follow.
Growing it with lavender
Blueberry Sundae grows in the same sunny, lean, well-drained soil as lavender, and its deep indigo spikes bloom just ahead of lavender, making a smooth handoff of blue and purple color in the same bed.
Care
Plant in full sun to part shade in lean to average, well-drained soil; the deep taproot makes it drought tolerant once established. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9. Choose a permanent spot, since established plants do not like to be moved; expect a couple of seasons to settle in, and cut back in late fall or leave the seed pods for winter interest.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Baptisia
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Flower color: Deep indigo blue
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Foliage: Deep blue-green
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Growth habit: Compact, upright mound
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Mature size: 32–42 in tall × 36 in–6 ft wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Late-May
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Peak bloom: Early-June
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
