Baptisia tinctoria - False Indigo

The cultivation of Baptisia tinctoria requires a bit of skill to succeed smoothly:

Not very tolerant of calcareous soils, this tall perennial appreciates light and well-drained soils, but tolerates summer drought.

In the first year of cultivation, the plant may seem to stagnate, which is normal. Young Baptisia plants have very slow growth, and their taproot is particularly fragile until it is deeply anchored in the soil. Make sure not to damage it during planting! Also, do not leave a young plant in its bucket for too long: the taproot could bend when reaching the bottom.

Possibly add a small handful of phosphate fertilizer (it stimulates root growth) that you will mix with the soil at the time of planting. Add 1/3 sand and 1/3 gravel to heavy soil to ensure good drainage, which is essential. Water sparingly in the first year.

In the second or third year, the plant will be established, will not require any special care, and will be able to flower profusely for many years!

Attention, voles also seem to be fond of its fleshy roots...