Summary
Baptisia, also known as wild indigo or false indigo, is a fantastic group of plants that deserves greater garden use. Not only does the floral display rival the beauty of any other spring bloom, but the plants are deer-resistant and require almost no maintenance. Despite these accolades, false indigo and its cultivars are still not widely popular. This undeserved obscurity, along with a multitude of new cultivar releases, prompted Mt. Cuba Center to take a close look at false indigo. From 2012-2015, 46 selections, including representatives from 11 different species, were evaluated in order to determine which Baptisia selections perform best in the mid-Atlantic region. Overall, the group performed exceptionally well and ten cultivars were selected as top performers: B. sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin’ Yellow’, B. ‘Lemon Meringue’, B. ‘Ivory Towers’, B. ‘Blue Towers’, B. ‘Purple Smoke’, B. ‘Cherries Jubilee’, B. ‘Sunny Morning’, B. ‘Blueberry Sundae’, B. ‘Dutch Chocolate’, and B. ‘Creme de Menthe’. These are selections with gorgeous, bountiful floral displays, attractive and sturdy foliage, and moderately sized habits that make them well-suited for the average home garden.
To view the Baptisia Trial Report full-sized, please click here.
Below are detailed descriptions about the performance of each plant in the evaluation as well as a link to the Report that summarizes the important horticultural and ecological information about Baptisia.
Baptisia sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin’ Yellow’
Screamin’ Yellow wild indigo
Rating: 5.0
Baptisia alba var. alba ‘Wayne’s World’
Wayne’s World white wild indigo
Rating: 4.8