False Indigo, or Baptisia australis. There are three varieties in the gardens, and pictured is the one in the Entrance Perennials Garden, with what I believe is a carpenter bee (please correct me if wrong). Baptisia grows best in lime-free, well-drained, stony soil in full sun to partial shade. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall. It is native to Central and Eastern North America, but has been cultivated far beyond that range. Several American Indian tribes have made use of the plant for a variety of purposes. The Cherokees used it as a source of blue dye, a practice later copied by European settlers. They also used the roots in teas as a purgative or to treat toothaches and nausea, while the Osage made an eyewash with the plant. THE SEEDS MAY BE TOXIC,
