Design Great

Baptisia Wild Indigo

Not very well known but one of my favorite perennials. It should be used ALOT more; especially in commercial landscapes such as parking lot island beds and median strips. Mature Baptisia forms huge clumps with tough rootstocks. Be careful of the deep taproot when transplanting. Damaged plants may take years to recover ( especially kinked taproots ). It is also the same taproots that make this plant so incredibly drought resistant. They do not like root disturbance and resent being divided. Wild Indigo is generally NOT eaten by deer. Insect and disease problems are rare. Most species require full sun...too much shade causes plants to grow lanky and fall over. Propagation is from seed. It is recommended to scratch the seed then soak it in water before sowing, pouring boiling water over seed and leaving to soak for 8 hours may also work. This treatment will greatly speed up germination, which may be within 2 weeks with temperatures exceeding 75 F. Transplant seedlings into individual pots once the seedlings have 3 pairs of true leaves. On ideal sites, self sowing may occur around plants that are not deadheaded.
The flowers are valuable for attracting butterflies.


* photos taken on May 6 2010 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD








Baptisia alba ( Wild White Indigo )
A deeply-taprooted, upright, bushy perennial, forming clumps up to 7 x 10 ( rarely over 5 x 5 ) feet. It is native to the southeast U.S. from Nebraska and Minnesota to Maryland; south to Texas to central Florida. This tough plant is great for both perennial border and hardcore commercial plantings.
The leaves are composed of 3 elliptical leaflets up to 1.6 ( rarely 3 ) inches in length. The luxuriant green foliage remains attractive from first in the spring when they resemble purplish asparagus shoots until well into the fall.
The creamy-white flowers, up to 0.5 inches wide, are borne on racemes up to 20 inches in length, over a 2.5 to rarely 6 week period during early summer.
They are followed by black seedpods.
Hardy zones 4 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil. It is very drought tolerant. It is difficult to transplant and establishes slowly but is extremely long lived. It tolerates poor soils as the roots fix their own nitrogen. Cut back by about 1/3 after flowering. It is rarely bothered by insects, disease or deer.

* photos taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, PA



Waynes World
Forms a vigorous, dense upright clump, reaching up to 4 x 6.2 feet in size.
The pure white flowers are borne on spikes up to 18 inches in length, over a 3 week period during late spring into early summer
It is otherwise similar. This spectacular plant is otherwise similar to the species.
Hardy from zone 4 to 9 in full sun or partial shade.

* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.

* photos taken on May 21 2011 @ Brookside Gardens "Party with the Peonies" tour in Fulton, MD





Baptisia australis ( Wild Indigo )
A very tough, deep rooted, long lived, clumping, herbaceous shrub, reaching a maximum size of 6 x 10 ( rarely over 4 x 4 ) feet. Wild Indigo is native to the southeastern U.S. ( Indiana to Pennsylvania; south to Tennessee to Georgia ) and is endangered in parts of its native range.
It looks great as a focal point or against a fence or stone wall. It also looks great with ornamental grases, Boltonia and Rudbeckias. It is one of the first plants to emerge in spring.
The trifoliate leaves are composed of leaflets up to 2.4 inches in length. The attractive foliage is luxuriant bright green at first, later turning to blue-green.
The mid-blue to purplish-blue flowers, up to 1 inch each, are borne on racemes up to 18 inches in length, over a 2.5 to rarely 6 week period during late spring into early summer. The flowers attract butterflies.
Hardy zone 2 to 8 in full sun or partial shade on deep, fertile, slightly acidic to neutral, well drained soil. Extremely drought tolerant and is resistant to both rabbit and deer. Tolerant of temporary flooding and can be grown on floodplains.

* photo taken on April 11 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum


* photo taken on April 18 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum

* at Chicken Filet Restaurant on Dobbin Road in Columbia, MD






* photos taken on May 1 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.



* photos taken on May 16 2010 @ Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD










* photo taken on Jule 6 2010 in Columbia, MD of seedling

* photos taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.



* photo taken on June 7 2012 in Ellicott City, MD

Caspian Dwarf
A selection with deep blue flowers, which can reach up to 5 ( rarely exceeding 3 ) feet in height.

* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.


Baptisia Blueberry Sundae
Vigorous and compact in habit, reaching up to 3 x 3.2 feet in size.
The attractive foliage is deep blue-green.
The deep indigo-blue flowers are borne on racemes up to 12 inches in length, over a 2.5 week period during late spring.
Hardy zones 4 to 9
Bred by plant breeder Hans Hansen.

Baptisia bracteata ( Long Bract Indigo )
A very attractive, very deep rooted, long-lived, bushy perennial, reaching up to 2.5 x 4 feet, that is native to open sandy woodlands in the eastern half of North America ( from Nebraska to Minnesota to Wisconsin to Michigan; south to central Texas to Georgia and South Carolina, with separate populations in New Jersey and Massachusetts ).
The trifoliate leaves are composed of 3 oblong to spathulate leaflets, up to 3 ( rarely over 1.5 ) inches in length.
The creamy-yellow flowers, up to 1 inch in length, are borne on racemes during late spring. The racemes are not upright unlike most other species, however remain very showy.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil. It is very drought tolerant.

Baptisia Carolina Moonlight
A long-lived, upright, bushy-perennial, reaching up to 5 x 5 feet. It is a hybrid originating in the N.C. State Botanical Garden.
The very attractive foliage is luxuriant blue-green.
The buttery-yellow flowers are borne on upright spikes up to 18 inches in length, over a 3 to 6 week period during late spring into early summer. The flowers are offset nicely by the gray stems which they are borne from.
Up to as many as 50 strong flower spikes may occur on a mature plant.
They are followed by black seed pods, up to 2.5 inches in length.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil. It is very heat and drought tolerant.

* photos taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.




Baptisia Cherries Jubilee
A upright, dense, shrubby-perennial, reaching up to 3.5 x 3 feet in size.
The attractive foliage is deep blue-green.
The flowers are borne on racemes up to 12 inches in length, over a 2.5 week period during late spring.
The flowers are deep red in bud, opening to deep rusty-orange with a yellow central keel.
Hardy zones 3 to 8.


Baptisia Chocolate Chip
Similar to Baptisia Dutch Chocolate but larger growing to 3.3 x 4 feet, with larger, reddish-purple flower spikes, up to 18 inches in length, borne over a longer period of 2.5 weeks.
It is sturdy in habit.

Baptisia cinerea ( Gray Hairy Wild Indigo )
A rhizome-spreading ( unlike most Baptisia ) but upright perennial, reaching up to 2.5 x 2.5 feet, that is native to the sandhills in southeastern Virginia, the Carolinas and Gaorgia. It is only found in one county in central Alabama where it is endangered.
The trifoliate leaves are composed of oval or elliptical leaflets, up to 2.4 inches in length. The attractive foliage is blue-green.
The bright yellow flowers are borne on upright racemes topping the plant over a 2 week period during mid-spring.
The stems are covered in soft gray hairy.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil. It is very drought tolerant.

Baptisia Dutch Chocolate
Vigorous and compact in habit, reaching up to 3 x 3.3 feet, with deep blue-green foliage and very deep purple flowers. The flowers borne on racemes up to 12 inches in length, are borne over a 2 week period during late spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8. An introduction from Hans Hansen.

Baptisia JC Reulston
A perennial, reaching up to 4 feet, with very large, purplish-blue flowers borne on purple stems.
The foliage is blackish-green at first, turning to blue-green.
Hardy zones 5 to 9

Baptisia lactea
A slow growing but large herbaceous bush that can live over 30 years and reach up to 7 x 4 feet. The foliage is blue-green and the flowers are creamy-white in early summer.
Grows on any well drained soil in full sun to partial shade and is not prone to pest or disease. Grows very well in the summer heat of the southeast U.S. Deep rooted and drought tolerant.
Baptisia Lavendula A very vigorous, bushy perennial, reaching up to 3.5 x 6 feet in size. The attractive foliage is blue-green. The flowers, up to 1 inch in size, are borne on racemes up to 23 inches in length, over a period lasting 3 weeks during late spring. They emerge white, later darkening to lavender-blue. The stems are gray.
Baptisia Lemon Merinque
Very vigorous in habit, upright, compact and vase-shaped, reaching up to 3 x 3 feet, with charcoal black stems.
The attractive foliage is blue-green.
The lemon-yellow flowers are borne on racemes up to 14 inches in length, over a 2.5 week period during late spring into early summer.

Baptisia leucantha ( Prairie False Indigo )
The giant of the family; this one can form clumps up to 9 x 5 ( rarely over 6 ) feet.
Plants grow very rapidly after emerging during late spring, reaching up to 4 feet in a week. The Prairie False Indigo is native to the U.S. from Minnesota to Ohio; south to Texas to Mississippi.
The leaflets are up to 2.5 inchesin length.
The creamy-white flowers are borne on racemes up to 22 inches in length, over a 2 week period during late spring into early summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in full sun.

Baptisia leucophaea ( Cream Wild-Indigo )
Also called Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea . A clumping, bushy perennial, reaching up to 3 x 4 feet, that is native to open woods and prairies in the central U.S. ( from South Dakota to southern Minnesota to southeast Michigan; south to southern Texas to southern Mississippi ). It is nearly extinct in Michigan with only one surviving population in Cass County ( may be escaped ) and multiple populations disappearing from Kalamazoo County during the 1950s.
The trifoliae leaves, up to 4 inches in length, are composed of narrow-elliptical leaflets, up to 2.4 x 0.6 inches in size. The finely-hairy, handsome foliage is blue-green.
The creamy-white flowers, up to 2 inches in size, are borne on spikes up to 12 inches in length, during late spring into early summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 ( 3 for Minnesota populations ) in full sun to partial shade on moist, sandy, well drained soil. It is very tolerant of heat and drought once established.

Butterball
Early emerging and compact, forming a bushy clump up to 1.5 x 2 feet.
The foliage is blue-green.
The very profuse, creamy-yellow flowers are borne during late spring.

Baptisia megacarpa ( Apalachicola Wild Indigo )
Also called Baptisia riparia. A dense, bushy perennial, reaching up to 4 x 5 ( rarely over 2.5 x 3 ) feet, that is native the southeastern U.S. ( from central Alabama to southwest Georgia; south to northwest Florida ).
The trifoliate leaves are composed of oval or elliptical leaves. The attractive foliage is blue-green.
The white ( rarely pale purple ) flowers are borne on upright terminal racemes during early summer.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on well drained soil. It is very drought tolerant.

* excellent photo link found on internet
http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1580111

Baptisia Midnight Prairie Blues
Moderate growing, vase-shaped and sturdy, reaching up to 5 x 6.5 feet.
The attractive foliage is blue-green.
The deep violet-blue flowers are borne on racemes up to 2 feet in length, during late spring into early summer ( reblooming on secondary branches ). The blooming season averages 2 weeks.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 in full sun to partial shade. Long lived and extremely drought tolerant.


Baptisia minor ( Lesser Wild Indigo )
A very long lived perennial, reaching up to 3 x 4 feet with dense sturdy habit. It is native to the central U.S. from eastern Nebraska to northeast Iowa to Chicago; south to north-central Texas to Arkansas and Kentucky.
The small but dense, fine-textured foliage is very attractive.
The very abundant violet-blue flowers are borne on racemes up to 18 inches in length, over a 3 week period during late spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on well drained soil. Tolerant of heat, drought and clay. It does not like root disturbance and should not be moved once its established.

Blue Pearls
Growing to 3 x 2.5 ( rarely over 2 ) feet with a neat, mounding habit and very abundant light blue flowers that stand out above the foliage. A mature plant can produce over 50 flower stems. The fine textured foliage remains attractive all season long

* photo taken on 4th of July 2010 in Washington, D.C.



Baptisia nuttalliana
A perennial, reaching up to 3 x 3 feet, that is native to from Oklahoma to Arkansas; south to eastern Texas, Mississippi and western Louisiana.
The foliage is mid-green.
The deep yellow flowers are interspersed with the foliage, not borne on spikes unlike other Baptisia species. The flowers are borne during late spring, a few weeks earlier than most other species.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 in full sun.

Baptisia Orange Jubilee
Dense, bushy and upright in habit, reaching up to 3 x 3 feet. The foliage is blue-green and the flowers are deep red in bud, opening to multicolor deep red and yellow.
Hardy zones 4 to 9

Baptisia perfoliata ( Catbells )
A perennial, reaching up to 2.5 x 3 feet, that is native to Georgia and South Carolina. It makes a very attractive groundcover.
The simple, rounded leaves are up to 1.6 inches in length. The attractive blue-green foliage resembles that of juvenile Eucalyptus.
The yellow flowers are borne singly from the leaf axils during late spring.
Hardy zones 4 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on sandy, well drained soil.

* excellent photo link found on internet
http://www.louisvillegardencenter.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=67

Baptisia Purple Smoke
The hybrid between Baptisia alba & B. australis. An extremely vigorous, tough, dense shrubby perennial to 5 x 4.2 feet with up to 50 or more flowering stalks on mature plants.
The attractive gray-green foliage is topped with light purple-blue flowers on racemes up to 18 inches in length. The very abundant flowers persist from 2 to 5 weeks. A single plant may bear 40 or more flower spikes at a time.
The stems are blackish-green.
Hardy from zone 3 to 8 in full sun on just about any well drained soil. Very drought tolerant and Deer resistant.


* photos taken on July 17 2010 @ Morris Arboretum, Philly, PA





* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.

* photos taken on May 21 2011 @ Brookside Gardens "Party with the Peonies" tour in Fulton, MD







Baptisia Royal Purple
A perennial, reaching up to 2.8 x 6 feet.
The attractive foliage is luxuriant blue-green.
The very deep purple flowers are borne in clusters up to 20 inches in length, over a period lasting up to 2.5 weeks during late spring.

Baptisia simplicifolia ( Simpleleaf Baptisia )
A low, groundcover perennial, reaching up to 1.5 x 2 feet, that is native to a tiny area in northwest Florida. It does not emerge until early summer, to its late appearance it is best to mix this plant with Daffodils.
The thick, blue-green foliage resembles that of juvenile Eucalyptus. It is simple, not trifoliate like other Baptisias.
The yellow flowers are borne on terminal spikes during late summer.
Hardy zones 5b to 9 in full sun to partial shade on consistently moist, well drained soil.

Baptisia Solar Flare
Similar to Carolina Moonlight but extremely vigorous, upright and dense with over 100 stalks at maturity ( reaching up to 4 x 5.4 feet ). The flowers are borne during late spring into early summer in racemes up to 20 inches in length. The are bright yellow, later deepening to deep orange, persisting up to 2.5 weeks.
The attractive foliage is blue-green.
Hardy zones 3 to 8. Drought tolerant.

* photos taken on May 21 2011 @ Brookside Gardens "Party with the Peonies" tour in Fulton, MD




Baptisia sphaerocarpa
Also called Baptisia viridis. A moderate growing, very sturdy, dense, bushy perennial, reaching a maximum size of 4 x 4 feet, that is native from Oklahoma to northeastern Missouri; south to eastern Texas to southern Mississippi.
The attractive foliage is bright blue-green. The leaves are composed of 3 leaflets up to an inch in length.
The profuse flowers borne in racemes up to 15 inches in length, are intense brilliant yellow. A single plant may produce up to 130 or more flower spikes at a time during late spring into early summer lasting about 2 weeks.
The flowers are followed by a rounded pod.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in full sun. Very drought tolerant due to its having a very deep taproot.
* photos taken on May 16 2011 in Washington, D.C.












Hunt County
Forms a clump, up to 3 x 4 feet, with blue-green foliage and yellow flower spikes up to 12 inches in length.
Hardy zones 2 to 8, very tolerant of both heat and drought.

Screaming Yellow
Similar but more vigorous with thick stems up to 0.5 inches across, forming a dense, sturdy clump up to 5 x 5 feet.
The leaves are slightly larger than regular Baptisia sphaerocarpa. The deep green leaflets are up to 1.5 inches in length.
The stunning bright yellow flower spikes up to 12 inches in length are composed of flowers up to 1 inch in length. The flowers are borne over a season lasting 4 weeks during late spring.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 ( likely 4 on protected sites ) in full sun to partial shade.

Baptisia Starlight Prairieblues
A long-lived, sturdy perennial, reaching up to 4 x 5 feet. It is a hybrid between Baptisia australis & B. bracteata.
The attractive foliage is luxuriant blue-green.
It bears long racemes of flowers, up to 20 inches in length, that are soft blue fading to white at the base. The flowers persist up to 3 weeks.
Hardy zones 4 to 8.

Baptisia tinctoria
A very attractive perennial, reaching up to 4 x 3.3 feet, that is native to the eastern U.S.
The trifoliate leaves are composed of 3 leaflets, up to 0.3 inches in length. The dense, luxuriant green foliage is topped by showy bright yellow flowers during mid to late summer lasting about 3.5 weeks. It often also blooms sporadically during late spring and early fall. The flowers are borne on clusters up to 5 inches in length.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun to light shade. Drought tolerant once established due to its deep extensive root system.

Baptisia Twilight Prairie Blues
A hybrid between Baptisia australis & B. sphaerocarpa. Vigorous growing and long lived, reaching up to 5 x 8 feet. A plant just 3 years old may have up to 100 or more flowering stems. The foliage is healthy blue-green.
The very profuse flowers are deep chocolate-purple with a yellow base. The flowers are borne on racemes up to 32 inches in length, over a long season during early summer.
Hardy zones 4 to 8. Very heat and drought tolerant.

* photo taken on May 21 2011 @ Brookside Gardens tour "Party with the Peonies" in Fulton, MD