![]() ![]() ![]() The shortest of my three is Baptisia australis minor, which tops out at less than 3 feet. Baptisia sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin’ Yellow’ is 3 to 4 feet tall. The tallest is ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’ which my five-foot wife can see eye to eye with. I grow three different cultivars in my garden. Allow for a spread of about 1 1/2 times the height. Plant sizes extend from about 12 inches to well over 6 feet tall, though most cultivars are in the range of 3 to 5 feet. ![]() Leaves are three-parted and may be gray-green to blue-green or just plain green. After they are done blooming, I usually remove the flower stalks to prevent seed maturation and the likelihood of seedling germination. For best results, grow them in full sun and well-drained soil. Most can tolerate hardiness zone 3, so cold temperatures are not a problem. In addition to being attractive to the human eye, they also are an important source of food and nectar for a variety of butterflies and their caterpillars. For an extended bloom time, pray for cool weather, since hot temperatures greatly shorten the flowering season. Clusters are held upright and may be over 20 inches long. And then there’s ‘Lunar Eclipse’, which features many of these colors at the same time. Colors include shades of blue, violet, purple, maroon, creamy white to pure white, pale yellow to bright yellow, and even pink. Baptisia is a member of the legume family, and sports the distinctive pea-like flowers. Though these species are rare in the cultivated garden, hybridizers have discovered this diverse American native in the last 10 years and virtually every plant now found in garden centers is a hybrid of several species. Both are found primarily on prairie remnants in the SW half of the state. Wisconsin is home to two: Baptisia lactea, White Wild Indigo, and Baptisia leucophaea, Cream Wild Indigo. Over 20 species exist, all of which are native to North America. One of those that can’t be missed in my perennial border and prairie is Baptisia, also called Wild Indigo or False Indigo. I look forward to my daily walks through the garden to see which ones jump out at me. Virtually every day another one bursts into bloom. June is the month when perennials reign supreme. ![]()
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