skip to main content

Baptisia seedlings

5 years ago

There is a beautiful Baptisia plant at the entrance to my office building. Today I noticed a ton of seedlings popping up around the plant center. I collected a bunch and put them in small pots in my apartment under lights. My hope is to take them over Memorial Day weekend to my sister in Michigan, who has acreage to plant natives, How long can they tolerate being in artificial surroundings, and how deep will their roots grow in threee weeks?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

beesneeds
5 years ago
If you collected them already popping up.. and if you have similar outdoor space at home, you shouldn't need to keep them under lights at this point. And depending on what size pot you put them into, like if you crammed a pot full or gave them a bit of room, they should be fine for 3 weeks so long as you treat them well.
neen_5mi
5 years ago
She's in a high rise apartment building, downtown St. Paul. Guess I know what I'm getting for my birthday!! I'm the Michigan sister. :-)
Related Discussions
Are these baptisia seedlings?
Q
Comments (2)
Great! Should I leave them or pot them up? They look so delicate.
...See More
Need help with Baptisia seedlings
Q
Comments (2)
Northerner, I'm in Oklahoma, and my Baptistas are pretty late getting started. They are coming up now, stalks that look rather like asparagus, one has a flower bud. I moved them year before last, and they do not like being moved, so went black & dormant - so I was happy they came back at all, then they were completely eaten by caterpillars, so once again, I'm happy they survived. I did nothing to protect them for winter, which got pretty cold this year. If it gives you a clue timing-wise, I planted tomatoes today, although I usually wait until the 15th.
...See More
Growing baptisia from seed
Q
Comments (5)
I winter-sowed Baptisia australis and B. leucantha 3 years ago, and the seeds were from Prairie Moon nursery and they apparently pre-scarify the seeds and also provide an inoculum which is supposed to help germination. They were winter-sown in February and germinated well. They are now 3 years old in 1 gallon pots since I haven't been able to figure out where to plant them yet (hmmmm). They might have bloomed this year, if they were in the ground, but they haven't bloomed yet. Patience required with these guys! Baptisia has thick tuberous roots, but in my experience actually does fine with transplanting and root disturbance. I've transplanted the seedlings up to bigger pots a couple times and they did okay. Also, I bought some pot-bound mature Baptisia plants several years ago in November, with thick circling roots. So I repotted and overwintered them in bigger pots, planted them in the Spring, and they've thrived.
...See More
variegated baptisia
Q
Comments (6)
Hi, The saved seed will probably produce mostly regular foliage. As a seed trader, I would take the change on a trade in hopes of getting a seedling that comes up variegated. Webkat is right though. Variegated plants are a hot item. I'm not sure about trying to propagate a baptisia though being they are so slow to increase. Tissue culture maybe? Terra Nova Nursery propagates new plants from people and they pay the originator of the plant a royalty on sales. Remy Here is a link that might be useful: Terra Nova Plant Purchasing Info
...See More
beesneeds
5 years ago
Well then happy birthday neen! What a nice gift to get :)

Related Stories

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Plant Baptisia Bracteata for Blooms Pollinators Will Love

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Longbract wild indigo is great in dry soil, and its spring flowers attract butterflies and bumblebees

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Please Bumblebees by Planting Baptisia Lactea

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant wild white indigo in central and southeastern U.S. gardens for its large white flower heads and early-spring interest

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Golden Alexanders for Early Spring Color

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get sunny flowers while other garden growers are still asleep, with this adaptable prairie plant beloved by butterflies

GARDENING GUIDES Oh, Deer! 10 Native Flowers That Stand Up to the Herds

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keeping a garden amid hungry deer can be hard, but these plants should fare well

OUTBUILDINGS Room of the Day: An Old Shed Becomes a Spa and Greenhouse

By Becky Harris

A garden-loving couple create the perfect place to have a soak and putter with their plants year-round

GARDENING GUIDES 20 Favorite Flowers for Butterflies and Bouquets

By Marianne Lipanovich

Discover perennials and annuals that do double duty as butterfly magnets and versatile cut flowers

NATIVE PLANTS Great Native Plant: Grow Wild Quinine for Its Unique Clusters of Blooms

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get connoisseur cred and unique blooms with this uncommon plant. Bonus assets: It’s low maintenance and drought tolerant

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 4 Tips for Creating a Small Garden That Welcomes Wildlife

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Win over birds, bees, butterflies and neighbors with these design strategies

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

Sponsored