Baptisia seedlings

In late June I participated in the Butterfly Count for Cleveland County, Oklahoma with some of my birding friends. We came across some large Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo) plants that were covered in seed pods.  I collected some of the pods, took them home and soaked them in water for 24 hours.  I filled an old plastic to-go food container with moist vermiculite and then scattered the seeds in the container and covered them with a thin layer of more moist vermiculite.

Baptisia australis seedlings

Baptisia australis seedlings

I put the container out in the greenhouse in indirect light and left it alone.  After a few weeks I had a bunch of seedlings.  I didn't count planted seeds and sprouted seedlings but it appears the germination rate was pretty high.  As with my past experience, the easy part is done and maturing these little plants from their fragile seedling state is the real challenge.  I hope I am successful.  This is such a beautiful native plant.