Flowers of indigo plants can be used in floral arrangements. Pruning is not necessary with these plants, but they may be cut back in the fall to promote a healthy start in the spring. Indigo in North America. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Water after planting. Flowers bloom in early summer, and the dried seed pods are attractive in arrangements. This gives you a long growing season and adequate time for it to develop leaves if you want to make dye. Growing Indigo in South Carolina In little over a decade after its cultivation by 16-year-old Eliza Lucas, indigo became one of South Carolina’s most profitable cash crops. They are perennial plants that are hardy in zones 3 to 9 and grow from 3 to 6 feet tall and just as wide. You may be able to harvest the re-growth several times. They are perennial plants that are hardy in zones 3 to 9 and grow from 3 to 6 feet tall and just as wide. In 1742 the face of agriculture in South Carolina changed dramatically when Eliza Lucas, the 16-year-old daughter of a wealthy planter, successfully cultivated indigo for the first time in the American colonies. To encourage another bloom, deadhead the spent flowers before the seed pods form. If you will be growing the indigo for dye and you want to keep the plant growing as a perennial, be sure to harvest only half of the leaves per season. Indigo plants love warmth and humidity. Indigo are well-placed in the back of a border or garden or in a wild, naturalized setting. If planting seeds, soak them overnight. TO DYE: There are many ways to make an indigo vat. She has been freelance writing since 2008. This type of indigo tolerates cold weather best, though it may not thrive if your area has long winters, meaning longer than 4 months. It’s still a wonderfully useful plant, however, and very much worth growing for the adventurous gardener and home dyer. To grow indigo in a cold country, you need a warm greenhouse, a conservatory or a sunny windowsill. Historically, the indigo plant was used to make blue dye. Indigo plants (Baptisia) are often called False Indigo or Wild Indigo. Once established, Baptisia australis is one of the longest-lived perennials around, so your patience will really pay off in the long run. Spacing is the same as in Step 1. Place these plants in a relatively permanent location as transplanting is not advised, due to the abundant taproots. All Rights Reserved. Sow the seeds any time between early February and about mid-April. Cut the stems several nodes up from the ground (it will re-sprout at those nodes). She has been published by The Wild Rose Press and is currently writing children's picture books, as well as online content. New Complete Guide to Gardening; Susan Roth, 1997. Indigo plants (Baptisia) are often called False Indigo or Wild Indigo. Indigofera is een vrij groot geslacht uit de vlinderbloemenfamilie (Leguminosae): het is vooral bekend vanwege de teelt ten behoeve van indigo, omwille waarvan enkele soorten op grote schaal gekweekt werden.. Dit geslacht is vertegenwoordigd in vrijwel alle tropische en subtropische gebieden van de wereld, en enkele soorten komen ook voor in gematigde gebieden in Oost-Azië. Indigo are well-placed in the back of a border or garden or in a wild, naturalized setting. Sonia Acone is a full-time freelance writer in northeast Pennsylvania. Water the seeds often until. There are two varieties: Baptisia australis, which has pea-like blue flowers; and Baptisia alba, which has white flowers. Harvest and make up your dye vat on the same day. Indigo plants (Baptisia) are often called False Indigo or Wild Indigo. Pick the Right Plant; Time-Life Books, 1998. Providing you can keep the plants warm, the earlier you sow indigo seeds the better, as you will have a longer growing season. Acone writes articles for eHow and GardenGuides.com. Taller varieties, such as B. australis, may need to be staked, especially after a heavy rain. You should use fresh seed from the previous year's harvest (though I have germinated 2 year old seed).. TO GROW: Choose a location that has full sun and well-drained fertile soil. For container-grown plants, spring is the best time to plant, after the last frost. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →. Japanese Indigo Polygonum tinctorium also called: Persicaria tinctoria. When the seed pods form in late summer, they can be dried and used in dried flower arrangements as well. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. It's a subshrub, which means it's thinner than a shrub, and will grow to about 3–6 feet (0.91–1.83 m). Until indigo dye was synthesized in Europe in 1882, a species of Asian Indigofera was a huge cash crop wherever it could be grown. Answer: Yes, you can collect and sow the seeds of your wild or false blue indigo (Baptisia australis), though propagating this beautiful, blue-flowered perennial from seed can take patience. A frost tender annual that likes fertile soil, heat and humidity but will grow almost anywhere. Spacing should be about 3 feet apart. Plant Isatis tinctoria seeds if you live in a non-tropical climate. There are … "In the 1600s, Europeans colonized North America, and immediately started trying to grow crops of economic importance," says Hardy. Flowers bloom in early summer, and the dried seed pods are attractive in arrangements. Seeds can be planted in spring or fall. Choose a location that has full sun and well-drained fertile soil. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and professional writing from Elizabethtown College. When the plants are 1-2 feet tall and a bruised leaf will turn navy blue, it is ready for the first harvest. Indigofera tinctoria, often called true indigo or simply just indigo, is probably the most famous and widespread dye plant in the world.In cultivation for millennia, it has fallen somewhat out of favor recently due to the invention of synthetic dyes.