Melinda Myers

Baptisia

Botanical Name

Baptisia australis

Hardiness

Zones 3 to 9

Height

3 to 4 feet

Width

3 to 4 feet

Flowers

Mid to late spring: indigo-blue

Fruit

Black pods

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil

Well-drained

Planting & Care

• Plants grown in part shade may need staking
• Baptisia is drought tolerant and tolerates poor soils
• Division is usually not necessary and plants should be left undisturbed once established
• Be patient, baptisia can be slow to establish

Problems

None serious

Varieties

• Baptisia alba var. alba - white flowers, 36"
• Baptisia x bicolor 'Starlite' - lavender-purple and yellow flowers, 45", excellent flower production
• Blueberry Sundae - violet-blue flowers, 48", compact, bushy plants with stout stems
• Cherries Jubilee - compact 40", maroon and yellow flowers along 18" spikes
• Dutch Chocolate - abundant chocolate purple flowers on 48" plants
• Lemon Meringue - bright lemon yellow flowers on sturdy, vase-shaped plants that hold their form
• Lunar Eclipse - creamy yellow and violet flowers along 20" spikes, 48"
• Midnight - dark purple-blue flower spikes measuring up to 21", 52" plants
• Solar Flare - lemon-yellow and orange flowers, 44"
• Sunny Morning - bright yellow flowers
• Baptisia x variicolor 'Twilite' - dusky purple and yellow flower spikes measuring 20" atop 48" plants