A Fab Fabiaceae

Please meet this lovely water color painted baptisia~~
(all photos can be enlarged, just click on them)

They were added to the garden this past winter,

after I found them hiding under the 50% off table at my favorite nursery.
Although, the variety name was new, baptisias were just what was needed to jazz up the back garden.
Tough plants, they could take neglect! I bought all of them~~and look at them bloom!

Baptisia x bicolor 'Starlite' was bred by Dr. Jim Ault from the Chicago Botanical Gardens. Starlite a robust and vigorous australis and bracteata cross is a medium-sized, soft-colored perennial.

It's a gentle color, some see periwinkle, but, it's more lavender to my eye!

Does it need something bold to make it pop!
I don't think so~~
The soft lavender is perfect with the lunaria and Phlox pilosa.

The stems on this sweetie pie arch gently,
rather then stand up
straight
and tall like B australis.


They were planted in winter and when they emerged a few weeks ago I was surprised to see the flower bracts among the leaves. These were young plants, stressed from living in containers for too long and they shouldn't have bloomed!

But they did.

Perhaps, this is what the breeders meant by robust and vigorous!

I am expecting Starlite to grow to be about 3 foot tall and wide. In my zone 7 garden they flower in April and May and have good looking gray green foliage that will add that different leaf shape that's needed in this garden. Expect the best bloom production in full sun, but light shade is fine. I have never had any problems with any of the baptisias I grow...except, they really DO NOT like to be transplanted! False Indigos develop a huge taproot that resents being moved. Ixnay on the dividing them for more plants! Do yourself a favor, let them go to seed...The black bean pods are beautifully ornamental and you will get a few volunteer seedlings. Transplant the seedlings while they are young! All baptisias prefer neutral to slightly sweet soil. I've amended the soil, but for the most part, it's just decent garden dirt on the neutral side. Zones 3-8.




Wildflowers and ephemerals are planted under them. Nearby is Mexican Feather Grass, daylilies, PPPP, Phlox paniculata "David" and much later bloomers like rudbeckias, zinnias, echinaceas, sedums, asters, liatris and others.

I like this companion plant list from Digging Dog nursery~~
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis), Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis), Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii), Helen's Flower (Helenium ), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Daylily (Hemerocallis), Coral Bells (Heuchera ), Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica), Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis), Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides), Meadow Phlox (Phlox maculata), Shining Coneflower (Rudbeckia nitida)

For more information on the TwilightPrairie series...go here.


My friends~~Here's a fab fabiaceae I found for you in the 'lawn'!
Remind me to share my secret song for conjuring up a four leaf clover!
I am hoping this brings Dave (The Home Garden) good luck in the 48 Hour Challenge voting. He built a very cool arbor...(go here to see it) and voting starts today!

I do hope you all have enough time in your gardens and with your loved ones this weekend.
Gail