The Baptisia plant is actually a striking
perennial plant that needs minimum care and it produces a maximum results. The
Baptisia plant is also known as false indigo, the Baptisia flowers were once
used by Native Americans and early European settlers as a dye before true
indigo became available.
Baptisia Plant Info
The Baptisia plant is a members of
the Fabaceae or pea family, the Baptisia plant distinctive pea-like blossoms
also come in white (Baptisia alba) and yellow (Baptisia tinctoria) as well as
the more widely known blue (Baptisia australis). There are also quite a lot of
hybrid cultivars on the market today. The Baptisia plant is Native to the
prairies of southern North America and the plants grow well in almost in any
well-drained soil in USDA planting zones five to nine. The leaves of the plant are
trifoliate (three leaflets) and it range in color from dark blue-green to light
yellow-green and they can become so dense as to give the plant a shrub-like
appearance. The fully mature plants can grow 2 ½ to 3 feet tall and it produce
racemes or flower spikes adding another twelve to twenty-four inches to their
height. Actually each of these racemes is covered with flowers and will bloom
for about 6 weeks in spring or early summer. A fully mature plant can produce a
100 of these glorious spikes.
Baptisia Plant Growing Tips and Care
Baptisia plants is like prairie
plants, they actually takes some time to establish their deep root system
before taking off, so the first of Baptisia plants growing tips would be to
have patience. It can take up to 3 years for your baptisia seeds or seedlings
to produce flowers. The second of our Baptisia plants growing tips would be to
choose your site carefully. Once they are planted, the plants don’t like to be
moved. Their roots can grow up to twelve feet deep and a single clump can
expand to three or four feet wide. When deciding how to plant false indigo for
the best effect, remember that some garden plantings of these hardy perennials
have been known to last for decades. False indigo needs plenty of sun and once they
are established, they are extremely drought tolerant. No pruning is necessary,
though some gardeners prefer to remove the dark seed pods as part of their False
indigo care regimen. Others like the look of the dark pods and leave them as
contrast in the garden. Beyond the first few years, False indigo care requires
very little from the gardener. The Baptisia plant like a yearly dose of general
garden fertilizer and they are also bothered by very few pests or diseases. For
organic gardeners, these plants are gems. Alkaloids produced in the species are
toxic to many insects, which leads us to the third of our Baptisia plant growing
tips and it concerns the occasional caterpillar found crawling along the leaves
of this plant. Care should be taken to leave them undisturbed. These prairie
darlings are host plants for several species of butterfly.
How to Plant False Indigo
When offering advice on how to plant false
indigo, most authorities will recommend baptisia seeds and this is, in fact,
the most common method of propagation, but what they don’t mention is that fresh
baptisia seeds are best and most reliable for germination.
How to Grow Baptisia from Seed
If you actually know someone who
already grows Baptisia plant in their garden, don’t hesitate to ask for a few
seed pods just as the pods begin to split. Check the Baptisia seeds for tiny
holes – there’s a tiny weevil that attacks the Baptisia seeds but not the plant
– and discard any that are damaged. Baptisia seeds can be sown directly,
planting them a quarter-inch (0.5 cm.) deep, and will usually germinate in
about 2 weeks. If the fresh Baptisia seeds are unavailable, how to plant
Baptisia seed becomes a little more complicated. Hardened seeds should be
chilled in the refrigerator for 6 to twelve weeks. The stratified (chilled)
seeds must then be scarified, which means the seed coat must be worn down with
sandpaper or nicked with a knife tip. The Baptisia seeds then need to be soaked
in water for twenty-four hours and then planted indoors. The Baptisia seedlings
can be moved to the garden after all danger of frost has passed.
Growing Baptisia from Cuttings
Baptisia can also be propagated from cuttings.
You can easily take your cuttings in the early spring before new growth becomes
too woody. The cuttings should be long enough to ensure that at least one set
of leaf buds will be below the soil surface. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone
and then plant in a loose growing medium. Keep the humidity high with a glass
jar or plastic tent and the cuttings should root in about 8 weeks.
Furthermore, the Baptisia plants can
be a welcome addition to any garden, formal or informal. All it takes is a
little time and patience and your False indigo flowers will reward you well for
years and years to come.
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