Baptisia × bicolor 'Starlite' (Prairieblues Series)
false indigo 'Starlite'
An herbaceous perennial, forming a clump to around 1m high, with upright stems bearing leaves divided into three narrowly oval-shaped leaflets. Tall clusters of soft violet-coloured flowers touched with cream are produced in late spring or early summer, followed by dark grey seed pods
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Purple Cream | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Purple Cream | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
ExposedDrought resistance
Yes Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Baptisia are perennials with branched stems bearing three-parted leaves and terminal or axillary racemes of pea flowers, followed by conspicuous inflated pods
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Thrives in deep, well-drained, preferably sandy soil in an open, sunny position. Plants can be slow to establish, and dislike being disturbed, but mature plants have good drought tolerance
Propagation
Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings. Hybrid cultivars will not come true from seed
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Prairie planting
- Wildlife gardens
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required, though plants can be trimmed back after flowering to maintain a compact shape, unless seed pods are required
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.