If you’ve tried every new color of Echinacea and are ready for the next hot plant, Baptisia may be just the thing for you. Also called False Indigo this native perennial is experiencing a revival of interest thanks in part to the efforts of the Chicagoland Grows® program. This collaboration between Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum, and the Ornamental Grower’s Association of Northern Illinois is a great source of new plants bred to be well adapted to our northern climate.
The Avant Gardeners are trying two new colors this year, Solar Flare Prairieblues™ False Indigo (Baptisia ‘Solar Flare’ PPAF). The unique yellow flowers emerge at the top of the 12 to 18” flower spike and fade to orange as they mature. Once established, it can produce up to 100 floral stems per plant. It has a vase shape, standing 3-4’ and 4½‘ wide and brings tremendous color to the garden during the late spring and early summer.
Another new Baptisia, also developed in Chicago, is Starlite Prairieblues™ False Indigo (Baptisia x bicolor ‘Starlite’ PPAF). This one has more traditional coloring, with periwinkle blue pea-shaped flowers, but the cream colored flower base makes the whole plant sparkle. Slightly smaller, at 3’ this beauty boasts 24” floral spikes earlier than most other Baptisia.
Even before the latest color breeding frenzy, Baptisia was a plant of great merit. It is easy growing in full or part sun and most well drained soils. While slow to get started, it turns into a sizeable plant after a few years and is a wonderful background plant in the border. One warning: it does not like to be transplanted, so select a location carefully. The dried seed pods turn brown to gray or black and are great for flower arrangements. It is not usually plagued by serious disease or insect problems. Another bonus, deer don’t seem to favor it.
The attractive blue green foliage looks good all season and provides a nice backdrop to smaller perennials. Try some this year, fronted by yarrow, asters, geraniums, phlox, or other small bushy perennials to camouflage it’s bare ankles.
