Baptisia: A color for everyone

By Matt S., County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent, Pitt County
When I was first learning about plants as a teenager while working at a garden center in Massachusetts, one of the first plants that really grabbed my attention was Lupine. I loved the tall flower stalks, and I especially loved the way drops of water collected in the center of their palmate leaves after watering or rainfall. Lupines are seldom seen in the South as they fair better in colder climates to the north and west.

There is, however, a similar plant much more suited for Southern gardens, and that is Baptisia. Baptisia is commonly known as false indigo, although at least one notable North Carolina nursery refers to it with tongue in cheek as Redneck lupine. Both Lupine and Baptisia are members of the bean family, and thus have pea-shaped flowers grouped together on tall floral stalks. While Lupines bloom in late spring  and  summer  in the areas where

Baptisia Alba – White False Indigo

they are typically grown, Baptisia bloom in early spring for us, with flowers emerging in the first part of April into May. Lupines have palmate leaves with up to 7-11 leaflets per leaf, whereas Baptisia have a more typical trifoliate, or three-part, leaf, as do most members of the bean family. 

Baptisia Australis – Blue False Indigo

Baptisia alba and Baptisia australis –  are the two primary species of Baptisia found in our gardens, and both are native to the Southeastern United States. B. alba is a white flowering species, while B. australis, the 1992 NC Wildflower of the year, is bluish-purple and its seed pods can be collected to make a dye similar to that derived from the true indigo. Baptisia cinera and Baptisia tinctoria are not nearly as common, but are also native to the southeast, and have yellow flowers.

Many hybrid cultivars are derived from these parents, and those cultivars are typically what you will find when shopping for nurseries. One of the most popular of these is ‘Purple Smoke,’ a fast-growing perennial with 4-foot tall purple flower spikes on dark stems. ‘Carolina Moonlight’ is a pale yellow cultivar that is absolutely serene in bloom, while ‘Screaming Yellow’ is a brighter, more intense yellow. There are also a few bicolor cultivars on the market, including ‘Lunar Eclipse’ (white/pale blue), ‘Twilight Prairieblues’ (magenta/yellow), ‘Pink Lemonade’ (pink/yellow), as well as many cleverly named cultivars that make it pretty clear what color they are: ‘Blonde Bombshell,’ ‘Blueberry Sundae,’ ‘Pink Truffles,’ and even ‘Chocolate Chip.’ There’s a color for everyone.

 Baptisia 'Pink Lemonade' 

Baptisia 'Lunar Eclipse'

When planting Baptisia, be fairly certain that you want it exactly where it’s going because Baptisia develop a fairly deep taproot and can be difficult to transplant once established. They like full sun and moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate drought and poor soils. They are a favorite of bees and other insects, have very few pest problems, and are deer resistant, making them a pretty desirable plant to include in a variety of garden settings. Include in pollinator gardens, native gardens, cottage gardens, or anywhere that you can use some early spring color.  

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Infoline at 252-902-1705.