Baptisia Decadence Series Blueberry Sundae - False Indigo

Baptisia 'Blueberry Sundae', sun-loving, is an excellent perennial for poor and dry soil also known as Indigo Lupin. This is a hybrid variety belonging to the 'Decadence' series, recently developed in the USA. It stands out for its compact and branched habit, in a dense tuft, and for its generous flowering with a very bright colour: a very bright medium blue, made of a mix of midnight blue buds and cobalt blue pea flowers. The floral spikes appear in late spring, for 3 weeks, and are grouped at the top of a bluish-green alfalfa foliage with an interesting texture, even outside the flowering period. This false lupin can be grown without worry in full sun, in well-drained, light, even poor and dry soil in summer.

Baptisia 'Blueberry Sundae' is a perennial plant from the Fabaceae family resulting from extensive research and hybridization work. Its ancestors, including the best known is perhaps Baptisia australis, are all native to the prairies and woods of the eastern and central United States. They grow there among tall grasses, without any care, perfectly tolerating frost and dry summers.

The 'Blueberry Sundae' variety forms a bushy and branched tuft reaching 80-90cm (32-35in) in all directions. Flowering takes place in June, in the form of papilionaceous flower spikes in very bright blue tones, highly visited by butterflies. The foliage, which disappears in winter, is also very ornamental when swaying in the wind. It consists of leaves divided into three large rounded leaflets, with a slightly bluish green colour, resembling those of alfalfa or clover. This Baptisia, like many plants in the Fabaceae family, secretly develops a powerful and deep root system underground, capable of fixing nitrogen from the air through specific bacteria housed in small nodules. This very perennial plant slowly expands over time.

Baptisias are close relatives of lupins, which are much better known in Europe, but they are much less demanding in terms of soil and moisture. They have very robust roots that allow them to live for a long time in our gardens, but they require time to establish themselves. A true all-terrain plant, the 'Blueberry Sundae' indigo lupin will find its place in a romantic garden, a dry garden, or in natural areas. It is also useful for decorating a degraded land, which often surrounds a recently built house. It looks stunning alongside roses ('Alissar, Princess of Phoenicea', 'The Fairy'...), Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba Semiplena', Eremurus himalaicus, or Allium bulgaricum. It also pairs well with purple linarias or hybrid mulleins and three-flowered roses, which are equally spectacular.