I have the same problem. I was thinking about replacing them with a compact type like 'blueberry sundae' (who comes up with these names?). I think cutting them back hard after bloom is an option, I have another somewhat related plant that did the same flopping thing: Thermopsis villosa. I cut it all the way back to the ground and it still came back but regrew directly into a flopping habit lol. I mean, I think it must be in their programing to get rangey in order to drop seed further away from the mother plant.

I have four mature purple smokes and a blueberry sundae: none of them flop. All are in full sun and crappy soil.

Are you removing the spent bloom spikes?

"Are you removing the spent bloom spikes?"

Yes.

Is your soil rich? Perhaps planting in poor soil might help?

I wonder if they’re like veronicas, that they benefit from being divided when they get floppy, after a few years? I planted my first baptisia this Spring so I don’t know any better...

How big is the actual crown at the ground level?

I've have many clumps of the baptisia that have been in the ground for 10+ years. Looking at them now, the smallest crown is 1 foot wide and can splay open a bit after a rain but still bounce back to form once dried. My biggest one has a 2 foot and it seems the outer parts support the inner ones because it doesn't open at all.

As others noted, the would do better in poorer soil... not fertilzed... not pampered... cussed at periodically... etc.

Hmmm, maybe the problem is rich soil -- didn't consider that. I have two large clumps I dug out, trying to decide whether to keep them in pots in case I can use them when I eventually get the front re-done or whether to re-home them. Or maybe just stick them out in the middle of the pasture where they have to fend for themselves.

The other ones are staying relatively upright, so keeping them in place for now.

Interestingly, I took a stroll though a city garden this afternoon and what did I see but three big clumps of baptisia, all next to one another. Two were flopping, one was not, and the one in a bit more shade was the one that was the upright one -- opposite of what I would have though. Obviously don't know what the soil conditions were -- not about to go poking around in the dirt in the middle of the city LOL!

not about to go poking around in the dirt in the middle of the city LOL!

==>>

why not ... gardeners do have boundary issues ... lol .. pun intended ...

i got 6 inches of rain last week ... what did you get .... did that in anyway change the issue ... or were they already down by then???

this reminds me of autumn joy sedum ... in prime garden soil in livonia... probably fertilized.. they always flopped ... dragged them out here to plain old beach sand.. and never watered them.. and they never flopped again.. and they were so abused ... they were about half the prior size ..lol.... which was actually to specs ...

so ... you might be onto something by just throwing them out into the pasture ... its an experiment if nothing else ... and i would expect with digging stress.. they will be smaller next year anyway.. and bazinga.. they wont flop ... and while you are doing that.. may as well split one based on the suggestion above ...

hope all is well ...

ken

Bump! Northern Virginia has been receiving a great deal of spring rain this year. Several mature Purple Smoke grown in full sun in lousy soil are leaning precariously. I will definitely deadhead (if only to stop the dang self-seeding LOL). Does anyone trim them back further?

"Does anyone trim them back further?"

I haven't been trimming them back in terms of height, but rather cutting off the perimeter stems that flop, that's where the flopping tends to be the worst, I need to keep them off of neighboring plants. That does help. I do deadhead, too.

Thank you Porkchop, I was hoping you'd see this. Deadheading and trimming only the outer stems is a plan.

Purple smoke' is my favorite Baptisia and I've grown it in very sandy soil and now in heavy clay. It makes a lovely perfect dome after bloom that reaches the ground. I always remove the seed pods to prevent seeding. '

The Virginia Native Plant Society facebook page currently has conversations about sprawling baptisia and giant asters. It must be the above average May rainfall.