Lunar Eclipse Baptisia (Baptisia 'Lunar Eclipse')
bap-TIZ-ee-ah 'Lunar Eclipse'

Deciduous Perennial Open, Airy, Upright in the Fabaceae Family
A two-tone Prairieblues false indigo, its flower spikes opening lemon-cream and aging to violet-blue.
Lunar Eclipse is a Prairieblues-series hybrid bred by Dr. Jim Ault at the Chicago Botanic Garden from a complex multi-species Baptisia cross. Its signature trait is a two-tone flower spike: buds open a light lemon-cream and age to violet-blue as the flowers mature, so each spike shows several colors at once. The open, airy habit holds stout, angled stems with little lower foliage, giving the plant a distinctly architectural look compared to denser Baptisia cultivars. It's also unusually adaptable for the genus, tolerating both dry, lean soil and consistently moist sites.

Pros

  • Two-tone flower spikes shift from cream to violet-blue as they age
  • Unusually adaptable, tolerating both dry soil and consistently moist sites
  • Long-lived and low-maintenance once established
  • Deer resistant and attracts pollinators

Cons

  • Open, airy habit shows bare lower stems rather than a dense mound of foliage
  • Slow to establish and can take several years to reach full size
  • Deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant once mature
Highlights A Chicago Botanic Garden introduction with flower spikes that open light lemon-cream and age to violet-blue, giving each spike a two-tone effect held on an open, architectural clump of stout stems.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 30 - 36 inches tall. 30 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Wet
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Dried Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Slow Growth Rate, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Winter Interest
Bloom Period May to June
Flower Color Lemon-Cream, Aging to Violet-Blue
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 09/20
2024 : 05/01 - 09/21
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!