Baptisia Decadence® Group
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- bap-TEE-zee-uh
- Description
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The Decadence® group of cultivars of false indigo were bred for different flower colors and a dense compact form. They are members of the bean family (Fabaceae).
False indigos are long-lived with a deep taproot making them drought-tolerant but difficult to transplant. They will grow in average, moist to dry, well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade.
The plant is bushy and multi-stemmed making it a heavy bloomer. The blue-green leaves are attractive all season providing interest in the garden from spring through frost. Flower stalks are held erect on sturdy stems. Deadheading is not necessary.
Use this plant as a specimen, in the perennial border or pollinator gardens and naturalized areas.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems, but moths sometimes eat the foliage.
VIDEO Created by Homegrown featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Pollinator Garden in Partial Shade
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae'
Rich blue flowers - Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee'
Flowers open maroon and yellow and age to gold. - Decadence® 'Dark Chocolate'
purple-brown flowers - Decadence® Deluxe 'Blue Bubbly'
pale lavender flowers - Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade'
Flowers open yellow and age to pink - Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Truffles'
Soft pink flowers - Decadence® 'Lemon Meringue'
Bright yellow flowers. - Decadence® 'Periwinkle Popsicle'
Late-blooming, dark blue flowers on a narrowly upright plant. - Decadence® 'Sparkling Saphires'
Deep blue flowers - Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream'
Cream-colored flowers - Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream II'
Larger then 'Vanilla Cream' with longer season of flowering
- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae'
- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae', Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee', Decadence® 'Dark Chocolate', Decadence® Deluxe 'Blue Bubbly', Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade', Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Truffles', Decadence® 'Lemon Meringue', Decadence® 'Periwinkle Popsicle', Decadence® 'Sparkling Saphires', Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream', Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream II'
- Tags:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae'
Rich blue flowers - Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee'
Flowers open maroon and yellow and age to gold. - Decadence® 'Dark Chocolate'
purple-brown flowers - Decadence® Deluxe 'Blue Bubbly'
pale lavender flowers - Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade'
Flowers open yellow and age to pink - Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Truffles'
Soft pink flowers - Decadence® 'Lemon Meringue'
Bright yellow flowers. - Decadence® 'Periwinkle Popsicle'
Late-blooming, dark blue flowers on a narrowly upright plant. - Decadence® 'Sparkling Saphires'
Deep blue flowers - Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream'
Cream-colored flowers - Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream II'
Larger then 'Vanilla Cream' with longer season of flowering
- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae'
- Decadence® 'Blueberry Sundae', Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee', Decadence® 'Dark Chocolate', Decadence® Deluxe 'Blue Bubbly', Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade', Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Truffles', Decadence® 'Lemon Meringue', Decadence® 'Periwinkle Popsicle', Decadence® 'Sparkling Saphires', Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream', Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream II'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Baptisia
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract bees and butterflies. Foliage is host plant to moths.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Easy to Grow
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer damage; tolerates drought, poor soils, dry soil, and erosion
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Puffy bean pod matures to black and persists into winter
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Irregular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Pea-shaped flowers in racemes in mid-spring. Flower color may change as the flowers age.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Attractive blue-green foliage. Compound leaves have groups of 3 leaflets alternating up the stem. Leaflets are elliptical to obovate, 1.5 inches long by 3/4 inch wide
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Stout green stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Poor Soil
- Salt
