 Mt. Cuba Center has casually been observing Baptisia for a number of years. We currently have nine species native to the Appalachian Piedmont Region and 17 hybrids and cultivars. With the onset of new breeding work and the number of exciting new cultivars on the market, it’s been decided to incorporate this group of plants into our regular rotation of plant trials.This choice however does pose a challenge. Our plants are different ages and that makes comparison difficult. We have new plants that are just 8 or 10 inches tall, while other established plants are a monstrous 6 feet in height. Baptisia all require several years to show their true size and flowering potential. Nevertheless, I do have some favorites to share with you. To be perfectly honest, I have not always been a big fan of Baptisia. While Baptisia australis was named 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year, it is perhaps my least favorite. It isn’t a bad plant, there is no such thing, but they tend to be floppy and are often poorly sited. They are large perennials that look more like shrubs. The weight of their beautiful blue flowers makes them lodge and fall over. This isn’t a plant for your foundation or border, but it would be stunning placed where it belongs—in your meadow. Happily, there are other choices more diminutive in size but not less beautiful. The following are a few plants that I find superior and that have a slightly more manageable size. I do like the way Baptisia emerge each spring with thick stems that look like asparagus ready to pick. They make a strong vertical statement in the early spring border. In mid-May their blossoms appear and stop passersby in their tracks. Some have dubbed them redneck lupines, but when they’re in bloom, I just call them beautiful. Baptisia are long-lived, adaptable plants that prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil. When planting, take the ultimate size of the plant into consideration. They have long tap roots and don’t respond favorably to being moved. It is also important to be aware that Baptisia take up to three years to really become established and show their true size and flowering potential. Baptisia choices There is one among this group that blooms a whole month later than the others and generally does not fit the mold. It is my favorite, Baptisia tinctoria (yellow wild indigo). B. tinctoria grows 2½ feet tall and 3 feet wide. It blooms in mid- to late June. The foliage is small, gray-green and round like clover. The blossoms are small, too, and a gentle, pale yellow. It has a lacy and airy look. Its size is more suited to an urban garden and its soft color would be easy to combine with pinks and purples. Yellow wild indigo is native to dry meadows and open woodlands. It will be drought tolerant once established and grows best in full sun or bright shade. B. australis var. minor (blue false indigo) grows to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. If B. australis sounds nice but you don t have enough room for it, try growing B. australis var. minor. It is very similar to the species, yet only about half the size. It has the same beautiful, violet blue flowers but being shorter in stature is much less likely to fall over. B. australis var. minor Blue Pearls grows 2 feet tall and 2½ feet wide. Blue Pearls false indigo was selected in 1998 because of its extraordinary flower power and neat, mounding habit. It is said that a mature plant can produce more than 50 flower stems with light blue blossoms that stand out above the foliage. Fine textured foliage remains attractive all season long. Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight’ is a cross of B. sphaerocarpa × B. alba. It grows to 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. This stunning Baptisia was discovered as a random seeding at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. It has 18 spikes of buttery-yellow blossoms. The soft color looks natural and is easy to combine with other perennials in the border. Despite its taller stature, this plant tends to behave better and stay upright. B. australis is native to the Central and Eastern United States. It is a large perennial, growing 3-4 feet tall and at least as wide. The flower spikes are even taller and cover themselves with lupine-like, violet-blue flowers. The bluish-green foliage and later the rattling seed pods, extend the season of interest. The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) chose this variety as its 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year. The PPA’s endorsement is a good indicator that the plant performs well in the garden. PPA nominations are based are the following criteria: Suitable for a wide range of climatic conditions; low maintenance, pest and disease resistant; readily available in the year of release; multiple season of ornamental interest; and easily propagated by asexual or seed propagation. For more: Mt. Cuba Center, www.mtcubacenter.org. Perennial Plant Association, www.perennialplant.org. Peggy Anne Montgomery is assistant research horticulturist at Mt. Cuba Center, PMontgomery@mtcubacenter.org. |
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