Baptisia 'Lunar Eclipse' - FALSE INDIGO 'LUNAR ECLIPSE'

'Lunar Eclipse' is an exceptional hybrid valued for its large, unique blooms which emerge pale yellow/cream white along long spikes and darken over the flowering period to light purple/lilac and then shades of dark violet and bluish purple, creating a gorgeous multicolored effect. 

The foliage is a bright blue-green color.

This long-lived perennial grows in a tall, vase-shaped, upright habit. Its good performance in loose, dry soils makes it a great plant for xeriscapes, native gardens, and meadows. Attracts plenty of butterflies, pollinators, and possibly hummingbirds. Very hardy once established, develops a high drought tolerance due to the taproot, and is moderately tolerant of humidity and saline. Can be used as a cut flower and in dry flower arrangements (blooms and seed pods).

Introduced and patented via the Chicagoland Grows, Inc. plant introduction program, this complex hybrid belongs to the PrairieBlues series and is the result of the combination of at least four Baptisia species and a little luck: the female parent was their previously patented 'Midnight,' Baptisia tinctoria x alba] x open-pollinated, probably australis], and the male parent was "an unnamed hybrid plant derived from open pollination of an interspecific hybrid Baptisia (australis x sphaerocarpa)." ('Lunar Eclipse' US Plant Patent, linked below)

Blooming Time: May
Size: up to 3-5' tall x 3-4' wide
USDA Zones: 4 to 8
Culture:full sun, half shade (will tolerate light shade), adaptable to most of the soils  (including acidic, poor soils or clay)
Moisture Needs: dry to average to slightly moist/moist soil
Origin: patented in 2015, this hybrid was developed by Dr. Jim Ault for Chicagoland Grows, Inc. at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL, US (US PP25,875 P2)
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes / yes
Attracts Hummingbirds: yes
Pot Size: 3.5" wide x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant Combinations : Best in sunny flower beds, modern plantings (public and private), cottage gardens, water-wise plantings, pollinator gardens, prairie-type of plantings, naturalistic landscaping, combined with small shrubs , perennials and grasses. Baptisia is adaptable and tough plant that can be used in wider range - in the drier beds (with drought tolerant plants), but also with moisture loving plants!

Best in the middle of the bed, as a background plant in small bed and also as solitaire plant. Good companions are majority of commonly available perennials like Agastache, Amsonia, Alchemilla, Anemone hupehensis, Aster, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Euphorbia, hardy, Geranium, Hemerocallis, Iris, Kalimeris, Leucanthemum, Monarda, Nepeta, Origanum, Paeonia, Penstemon, Perovskia, Phlox, Physostegia, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedum, Solidago, Stachys,, Stokesia, Tradescantia, Vernonia, Veronica, Veronicastrum, etc. and ornamental grasses.

Picture copyright : Mt.Cuba