Baptisia in mixed bed???

13 years ago

..Can I plant Baptisia in a mixed perennial bed?? Or will it 'take over'?? Will the seeds re-seed and take over my whole garden?? Or can I keep it in it's place?

Thanks,

Linda

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Comments (8)

rusty_blackhaw
13 years ago
It's well-behaved here and I haven't heard of it being aggressive in other garden settings. I don't think I've seen a single seedling anywhere (I have the native B. australis and a hybrid ('Purple Smoke') which is a beauty).
totallyconfused
13 years ago
I haven't had any problem with seeding. The only problem I have is that it gets huge and a bit floppy. As long as you have plenty of room to accomodate it, it's a beautiful plant.

Totally Confused
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prairiemoon2 z6b MA
13 years ago
No problem at all with reseeding. It is a very well behaved neighbor, just getting increasingly larger clump as time goes by. As long as you have it in full sun, it should stand erect. I have mine in part sun and use a ring to hold it up.
gazania_gw
13 years ago
I do get a few volunteers every year which are easy to remove. They are easy to find new homes for if you ask around the neighborhood. My two B.australis are surrounded by and held up by Hyperion daylilies. In 5 years they have not flopped. Last year, for the first time I cut them back after blooming was finished. I had just two bloom stalks this year. I wonder if the cutting back the year before is why.
sue36
13 years ago
I just purchased three and plan to put them in the back of a bed I am re-doing. If I want them to touch, but not be crammed together, how close should I put them (from one center to the other)? Thanks.
gazania_gw
13 years ago
It will take 3, maybe even 5 years for them to get to full size. To have the tops to mesh together, I think I would plant them about 3 feet apart.
sue36
13 years ago
Thanks Gazania!
keski
13 years ago
I have had one baptisia in the same spot for years. You really need only one plant since they do get large. Mine does drop a few seeds which will germinate, but they take so long to get going that it is not a problem. And I'm only talking 3-4 seedlings. I've added Purple Smoke to my other garden and it has taken until the 3rd year to take up space. Both are in my perennial borders.
Keski

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Baptisia in mixed bed???

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rusty_blackhaw

totallyconfused

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