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Super early to bloom and a wider than tall habit.

Baptisia Spilled Buttermilk

Looking for a smaller baptisia? Spilled Buttermilk may be the one with its wider than tall habit and creamy yellow flowers.

Baptisia bracteata is unique for its early bloom and horizontal inflorescences, but it can be more difficult to cultivate than some false indigos. ‘Spilled Buttermilk’ was developed to give the same appearance but with more vigor and ease of propagation. Its light lemon-yellow flowers are produced for three weeks on horizontally borne inflorescences commencing in early May (USDA Zone 5). Plants are more compact and produce fewer stems than most other false indigos. Like B. bracteata, this selection may go dormant by August, so plant ‘Spilled Buttermilk’ where its disappearance in the garden can be masked. Best grown in well-drained soils. A B. australis × B. bracteata hybrid backcrossed to B. bracteata.

Please note: We don't sell plants. Asking your local retailer or googling the plant name is the easiest way to find someone selling our plants.

Please note: Download hi-res photos from the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.


Who Am I?

  • Common Name

    Spilled Buttermilk false indigo
  • Botanical Name

    Baptisia 'Spilled Buttermilk' PP26319
  • Type

    Perennial
  • US Native?

    YES
  • Origin

    The Prairieblues™ false indigos were developed by Jim Ault, Ph.D., at the Chicago Botanic Garden from crosses made between 1999 and 2004. The selections were developed from crossing Baptisia albescens (formerly B. alba), B. australis var. australis, B. australis var. minor, B. bracteata (formerly B. leucophaea), B. sphaerocarpa, and B. tinctoria in various c ombinations. All parent plants and selections were grown in-ground at the Chicago Botanic Garden (USDA Zone 5b) during the breeding and selection process.

  • Bloom Time

    Summer
  • Bloom Color

    Creamy yellow
  • Fruit Time

    Fall
  • Fruit Color

    Gray

Cultural Details

  • Bloom Time

    Summer
  • Size

    23" tall by 3' wide
  • Hardiness Zone

    4-9
  • Light

    Full sun
  • Soil

    Moist, but well-drained, fairly adaptable to many soils
  • Moisture

    Drought tolerant once established
  • Disease & Pests

    False indigos exhibit good to excellent disease resistance. A seed weevil will predate the seed, but this does not detract from either plant health or display value. The genista broom moth caterpillar (Uresiphita reversalis) can seriously defoliate plants of Baptisia, but this tends to be more of a problem in warmer climes.
  • Landscape Use

    Borders, foundations, mass plantings, matrix plantings, naturalized gardens, commercial plantings
  • Propagation

    Softwood Cuttings, Tissue Culture

Available Photos

Hover over images to download hi-res files.