Indigo Spires baptisia carries upright spikes of blue-violet, pea-like flowers in late spring over clean blue-green foliage, building into a rounded, shrub-like perennial about three feet tall. Dark seed pods follow and hold on for fall interest.

Site it in full sun where it can stay put; the taproot that makes it so drought tolerant also makes it slow to forgive transplanting. It thrives in poor, dry, and clay soils, needs no staking or feeding, and bees and butterflies crowd the bloom spikes.