I've never had that happen to mine. It did take a while for mine to bloom, 3rd year from seed & that 1st year the blooms were fairly sparse. The next year were gorgeous, then last year the late frost took out a lot of the blooms & they didn't last long. I'm hoping for much better this year. We've had a lot of rain here too, although I have soil that drains pretty well. This will be the 3rd year for my white one, it bloomed last year but looks like it is going to be pretty this year. Planted a yellow one last year, but doesn't look like I'll get bloom this year :(
Good luck, hope you get some good advice.

Same as ngraham in that I grew mine from seed and it bloomed for the first time last year (3rd year), but actually more and better than expected.

Fortunately mine come out late -they are just breaking ground - so a frost would not be an issue. The black you describe sounds like the same thing which happens when the frost takes them in the fall, but you don't mention cold weather which is puzzling.

Started the yellows from seed this year too. Anxious to see this one!

Thanks you guys. No, no late frost here. It has been raining a ton which maybe could be the cause?

I didn't grow it from seed, so it's even later blooming that yours. It is a big healthy plant at this point, but this is the first year I've had any buds of any kind on it.

That IS a bummer!

Any chance there's a cultural problem? That might include any of: not enough sun (when it's not raining, that is), mulch over the crown of the plant, planted too deep, poor drainage in the area, over-fertilization, soil too acidic or too limey, or lack of air flow around the plant.

These are supposed to be trouble-free, which almost makes up for their short bloom period. Personally, I love the foliage and the slightly unkempt look it brings to the garden, but I sympathise with your loss - the flowers are gorgeous, if fleeting.

I don't believe it is planted too deeply, but I'm not sure how I would tell! It is in pretty full hot sun, so I don't think that is the problem. I'm not sure how to evaluate its locale, except that it definitely has plenty of air around it. ARGH!!! I've been told that it has a long tap root and doesn't like to be moved, so I haven't wanted to mess with it.

I agree, the foliage is pretty so that is a plus. I was just so looking forward to seeing it bloom.

I've never had this happen to my baptisia before, but it has happened to my peonies. On peonies, it's called botrytis, a disease that peonies are especially prone to. Buds form, and then turn black and fall off before they open - just like you described. I don't know if Baptisia gets this or not. In the best book I know of for perennials, called "The Well Tended Perennial Garden", by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, botrytis is mentioned for peonies, but not for Baptisia.

You might want to do some internet research. If it is Botrytis, it's easy to treat - just cut the plant back in the fall, and keep the area around it clear of foliage and cuttings. When you mulch, don't let it nestle up against the plant itself. You could also treat it with something, but I wouldn't recommend that until you find out for sure what it is.

Not having it bloom this year must have been heartbreaking. It's a magnificent plant in bloom - one of my favorites in the garden - and it's usually pretty easy to grow - just plant in full sun and leave it alone. I hope you find out what it is.

Good Luck!

debgrow, thanks so much. No idea what it is. It's such a bummer, but I guess I've got to take it in stride. I've had botrytis attack my monkshood, but never peonies. I'll look into it.