Succeeding with Decadence® Baptisia
See all seven Decadence® Baptisia colors here.
When shopping at your favorite plant retailer in spring, you’ll likely discover Decadence® Baptisia in full bloom. These long-lived, native cultivars are tough perennials that adapt easily in the garden and deliver three seasons of interest in the landscape. Here are a few tips to help them reach their full potential.
Where to Plant
- Decadence® Baptisia is quite drought tolerant because it grows a very long tap root that goes deep to find reserve moisture in the soil. Because of this tap root, it is very difficult to move successfully once it is established. This type of root system makes Decadence® Baptisia not a good candidate for growing in containers.
- Choose a permanent spot for planting your Decadence® Baptisia in the landscape, preferably one that receives full sun, which means a minimum of 6 hours per day. Keep in mind that the plant will grow to be about 2 ½-3 feet tall and wide when it is full grown, so leave plenty of room for it to reach its full potential.
- Decadence® Baptisia does not require fertile soil in which to grow. It will actually perform better in poorer soils. It does not like to have wet feet, so make sure the soil is well-drained.
Slow But Sure Wins the Race
- Decadence® Baptisia is not a fast growing perennial, but it is one of the longest-lived perennials. The number of stems on young plants typically doubles every year and they take a few years to really start showing their potential. As the plants mature, they start to put out more flowers every year in late spring followed by decorative seed pods.
- You do not need to divide Decadence® Baptisia as you would with some perennials. It prefers not to be divided or disturbed once it is growing happily.
Exposure and Watering
- Decadence® Baptisia should be grown in full sun, which means a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day.
- When grown in part shade, plants will be weaker, more open in habit and may not flower.
- Keep Decadence® Baptisia plants watered regularly until they become established in the landscape. Once they are rooted in, they will be able to tolerate moderate drought.
Trimming
- The only trimming you should do on Decadence® Baptisia is the trimming off of last year’s stems in early spring. Leave these stems with their decorative seed pods standing through winter to provide visual interest through the snowy months.
- Trimming the spent flowers will mean that no decorative seed pods can develop in their place. If you want to see seeds, don’t deadhead the flowers.
- If you want to trim the plants back because they have grown too large for the space, do so knowing that this action may remove potential flowers or seed pods. You may be better off trimming back the plant that is encroaching on your Decadence® Baptisia instead.
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