Tag Archives: false indigo

Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’ flowers up close

Blooming now in my garden are several baptisia plants, also called false indigo. Baptisia is a shrub-like plant that does well in our hot and humid summers. Recent breeding efforts have expanded the range of flower colors creating a new look for an old favorite.

I have two Lemon Meringue and two Dutch Chocolate plants. I purchase them 10 years ago as small plants and now in May, they are about 3 feet tall and blooming. They bloom in April and May and surprisingly make good cut flowers. I cut a few branches for a simple indoor arrangement and they lasted over a week. The blossoms are similar to pea flowers on tall spikes.

Although they look like shrubs in the summer, these plants are herbaceous perennials. In the fall, they produce dark brown pods that rattle and can either be left on the plant or used for dried flower arrangements or crafts. The shrubs die back in the winter and new growth emerges from the base in March.

Baptisia plants are deer resistant, heat and humidity tolerant, and drought tolerant once established.

I highly recommend these plants and if you are looking for top performers, check out Mt. Cuba Center’s 15-page report, Baptisia for the Mid-Atlantic Region. From 2012 to 2015, staff evaluated 46 selections of baptisia including representatives from 11 different species to determine which performs best in the mid-Atlantic region. Over 60 percent of the plants tested receive 4 or 5 stars. Among those, 10 superior cultivars outperformed the rest. Although I did not know it at the time I purchased my plants, they are included in the top ten.

Try growing these plants, which should be easy to find at local garden centers. They will do you proud!

Dutch Chocolate and Lemon Meringue

Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’ flowers up close

Baptisia, also called false indigo, is a shrub-like plant that does well in our hot and humid summers. Recent breeding efforts have expanded the range of flower colors creating a new look for an old favorite. Continue reading →

Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’ flowers up close

Baptisia, also called false indigo, is a shrub that does well in our hot and humid summers. Recent breeding efforts have expanded the range of flower colors creating a new look for an old favorite. I myself have been taken by two top performers according to Mt. Cuba Center’s 15-page report, Baptisia for the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Mt. Cuba Center’s Trial Garden, managed by George Coombs, research horticulturist, evaluates native plants and their related cultivars. From 2012 to 2015, staff evaluated 46 selections of Baptisia including representatives from 11 different species to determine which performs best in the mid-Atlantic region. Over 60 percent of the plants tested receive 4 or 5 stars. Among those, 10 superior cultivars outperformed the rest. Fortunately for me my two recent Baptisia additions to my garden are included in the ten.

I have two Lemon Meringue and two Dutch Chocolate plants. I purchase them three years ago as small plants. Last month they were heavy with yellow or chocolate brown flowers. Although they look like shrubs, these plants are herbaceous perennials. They die back in the fall and come back in the early spring. By summer, the plants grow to their mature height of about 3 feet high and wide, each year. Mine had pea-like flowers on tall spikes, similar to lupines, in April. In the fall, the flowers produce dark brown pods that be used for dried flower arrangements. Baptisia plants are deer resistant, heat and humidity tolerant, and drought tolerant once established. These natives make great additions to the garden. I am thinking of adding more!

Lemon Meringue and Dutch Chocolate