Inspired by reports from people that have tried it with success and, in particular, by the article here https://www.growingwildnursery..., today I did it, I moved my Baptisia 'Blueberry Sundae.' Not the best time to do it, in the middle of July, but I just couldn't stand it anymore. It's a gorgeous plant that deserves the right spot. Here is a "photo essay" of my efforts.


This is why I have to move it. I have learned to never trust plant tags or vendor websites. I should've listened to the Mt Cuba trial report, which says that this grows to 3.5' tall and 6' wide. That's exactly how big it gets in my front garden. It's 3' x 5' in this picture, but will grow a bit bigger by the summer's end. It's hiding a mountain laurel and holly behind it. A beautiful plant should never be so out of place that it is hated!


In the evening I removed most of the foliage. Most of the plant is now on the ground.


Next morning I started excavating around the plant. I've heard you have to use loppers or even a saw to cut the roots, but these pencil sized roots were cut with a hand pruner.


I went all the way around, using a spade, then cut underneath with a shovel. I tried to keep the root ball intact, but the sandy soil broke apart easily.


Here is the plant out of the ground. I was able to save about a foot of roots all around. No big central tap root, like I've heard.


A close-up of the roots, showing the nodules that house nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria. Baptisia, a member of the pea family, is a nitrogen fixer.


This time I'm smarter and have the proper site prepared. The hole was the perfect size for the roots. Yay!


The planting hole flooded.


All planted!

I'm documenting the process here, in case someone else wonders about moving a baptisia. It took me about 3 hours from beginning to end. Baptisias are beautiful no-care plants, but their tremendous width means that many a gardener will have to face moving them! I hope to be able to say this fall that the plant is surviving and, next spring, that it's back to its former glory. Even if it sulks for a season, that would be fine. Wish me luck!

I have a Baptisia I want to move completely out and on to a new home. I like the foliage, love the blooms, but those blooms are so short-lived I'd rather use the space for something else. Hoping no tap root is involved, so your post was encouraging as well as interesting. Thank you.

Debra, good luck with your baptisia. The flowers are stunning, but you're right, it's not a long show. It's mostly a foliage plant. A foliage plant that needs lots and lots of space. I love the bluish green leaves that are beautiful all summer. If mine makes it, then you could give yours a try!

The black seed pods in late summer and fall also provide interest!

My yard is small...and crowded. I truly dislike the most common form of yard grass used in this area, so I dug most of it out. Here is part of the front looking southwest; the image is from June 23rd of this year. Anything that wants to stick around has to play well with others or it is sent to play elsewhere.


I send increases/rooted cuttings/extras to my local community garden's plant sales, so, if I pot up the Baptisia and it survives, it will easily find a new home. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing how your transplanted one fares in its new location.

I received a wild baptisia from a friend this spring. She dug it up, I transplanted it , yea, went very well! It even bloomed! I think success was due to doing this in the early spring.

An update on my Blueberry Sundae:

Right after I moved this baptisia, the temperatures spiked into the high 90s (it may have reached 100), sunny and no rain. I watered it religiously, but it looked so sad. The leaves wilted and turned black and many of the canes also turned black. I was afraid that I had lost it.

It has since gotten cooler and rained a few times. Last week I noticed that there was new growth! Today I went out to take some pictures.


You can see here that I had already cut away some dead canes, but a few more have since turned black. Most of the old foliage had wilted away. However, notice the new growth.


Here is a close-up showing the new growth. It's too early to say, but I'm very happy and confident at this point that it'll come back. The real test is what it'll do next spring.

Think you were successful! I planted my two baps too close together this past spring; I will have to move them spring of 2020. Not something I am looking forward to!

I want to give an update on this. As described above, I moved this baptisia 'Blueberry Sundae' at a terrible time in July. Well, it definitely sulked for a season. I saw lots of buds coming up in the spring of last year, but only a few grew and one tiny flower stalk developed. Another year later, however, it's back to I would say close to normal. Lots of flower stalks and the plant is a lot of fuller. It's looking very good and I fully expect that it will only get better and better. The pictures below show the progress.

Blueberry Sundae in June 2020 (1 year after transplant)


Blueberry Sundae in June 2021 (2 years after transplant)

Beautiful. 🙂🌻

Wow! It recovered from the move beautifully. Good job!

Great job! Thanks for sharing. It's a good reference.

Thank you, thank you for updating this...hoping I won't have to move mine, but at least I know how!

Well done! I have always believed they were very difficult to move. I have one planted in a terrible spot, extremely lean gravelly soil. The poor thing has barely grown in the two seasons it has been in the ground. I now have a new, more suitable space in a newly expanded bed...you've given me the nudge to try moving it. I might wait till Autumn, though.