Mine were very floppy the first couple of years. They have much thicker/stiffer stems now and stand upright quite a bit more.

It does look like a young plant. However, baptisia is one of those things we tend to put peony rings around.

Just a younging still. Once it gets bigger and denser it will be better. As mad_g says... you can try ringing it if you want.

Also... not that it will be a problem on your plant at it's size now... but once it does it get bigger... If you still get splaying... would still cut the flower stalks back after blooming. They get quite heavy and will splay open a plant in no time... especial after a storm.

They grow in meadows in the wild and get support and protection from neighboring plants and grasses. Mine are flopping a little too. I will just use a peony cage if it totally flops later in the season.

Yep, Nevermore, I chop the spent blooms of mine too...and do a bit of pruning.. It is a 4ft x 4ft Purple Smoke - a little slow to get going but by Y4 was an architectural feature in my dry gravel garden. The lovely foliage and form had as much gardenworthy value as the blooms, plus I had a taller layer ready to takeover (althea cannabinoides, verbena bonariensis, indigofera heterantha)...so yep, I almost treat is as topiary and give it a pleasing haircut.

Lunar Eclipse, beautiful. Just put it on my Want List. And yes, they do get more upright with age but the outside stems tend to still flop so if I remember in time, I also use peony hoops.

Our local nurseries carried Wayne’s World (large, white blooms). This was also on my Want List and I was happy to purchase it and for a reasonable price. Guess what? It is now blooming and looks like the run of the mill Baptisia australis. Purple blooms. And walking through the nursery this week I see that all labeled as Wayne’s World are blooming purple. I had an interesting discussion with the owner ( it was obviously the growers mistake) who was mortified but said mislabelled plants are the least of the nurserie’ problems. Her point of view on the horticultural business in these times was very interesting and merits a separate discussion on our forum.

P.S. i have potted up some babies found near parent plants. So far they look great. Will they come true from the parents? ( Carolina Moonlight and Purple Smoke).

I appreciate this advice for peony rings. I have a new baptisia, planted last fall. It's still tiny but growing well, so I guess I should get some support for it before it decides to flop!

I have another question: do these plants spread (either by root or seed) or is the one plant I bought all that I get?

Yes, mine make babies. See above post. I have 5 potted up now and they look pretty good. I first noticed babies 2 years ago but was too busy to pot them up. I don’t know if the mother plant had to reach a certain age, if the weather change influenced seeding, or if I just didn’t notice them in years past. I suspect weather may be responsible as I also have lavender seedlings as a common occurrence and I would have definitely noticed that before.

I am curious as to how long these will need to get large enough to plant in my beds.

Mine has never seeded around (unsurprising, since I whip the spent flowerheads off) but the root system grows enormously...downwards. The slender 6inch plant of a few years ago, rises from a crown which has remained surprisingly compact (around a foot in diametre)...yet throws dozens of stems to form a ginormous hummock at least 4feet wide. So yep, one plant, while it occupies a relatively small footprint, still makes a dramatic statement in my garden.

Ceris47-

This is the first year I have had seedlings show up. I too wonder if weather had something to do with it, or what. I had a few things seed this year that have never done so before, hardy hibiscus and amsonia. I am not saving any of those, however, I plan on potting up a few of the baptisia seedlings to see exactly what I get....3-4 years from now lol.

Here is a cool link on Mt. Cuba Center baptisia trials.

https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/baptisia/

Thanks Cerci and Growgirl. I'm glad to hear that my baptisia may reproduce. I'd like to have a patch of them.

I believe that mine is also "lunar eclipse" and I hope it develops into as nice a plant as your, Growgirl.

I am sure it will:) I cannot get enough of it!

I have some Baptista australis, all started from seed about 7 years ago. The growth form is variable. Some are more upright and some are floppy. I don’t know if named selections have the same variation.

This photo has 4 baptista. The ones at each end have a very upright shape while the two in the middle are floppy and flower less. They have been like this each year since I first noticed, about three years ago at least. I’m considering shovel pruning those two. This was pretty much their last chance at shaping up!

I don’t support them and they definitely seed around a lot. I try to cut them back after flowering or else the plants get huge.

Mine is about fifteen years old. It's hard to judge the size, but it's probably six feet across on top. I dug it out of a landscaper's lot when they redid their building. I had no idea what it was, but it was five dollars per five gallon bucket, so I fought hard and took it home. It flopped and pouted for a few years, but I'd never be without it again!

(The zinnia seedlings next to it will fill in this entire blank spot in the bed)

My Solar Flares does not come true to the parent. All of the seedlings have gone back to the purple.

Yes, I imagine any of the baptisia cultivars would not come true from seed. I decided to let a handful of the seedlings I have stay. Might be fun to see what becomes of them, if I can keep them alive that long;)

Wayne, can you give me your opinion on Solar Flare? I have been thinking of adding it to my garden, but have not heard anyone discuss this cultivar.

Old thread, I know. My experience has bee that my baptisia didn't flop until it got older and larger. My QUESTION is: can I cut it back to the ground now? I mean, most things you prune still have leaves left when you are done, but the baptisia would just be stems. Would this kill the plant? I just want to get the sprawl under control. Right now, I am just trimming it where it is lying on top of neighboring plants, but I'd rather cut it down and be done with it, if I may.

Yeah, I would cut it back at this time of year without much anxiety since most of its energy will be concentrated in the enormous root system.