When one of mine starts blocking a path, I cut off sufficient stems to unblock the path. Not an ideal solution perhaps but, like you, I like the plant. Cuttinng some of the stems off doesn't seem to bother it any. It has usually already finished blooming by the time it needs whacking back so I'm not elimination the flowers.

I also do what woodyoak suggests. I like baptisia, but it's spread out to almost intrude on one of my paths, especially if/when it flops.

I can take or leave the look of the seedpods, so after flowering I cut the whole thing in about half, and cut to the ground the stems closest to the path. The plant looks like a weird form of asparagus for a couple of weeks, but rebounds and is a much more manageable size for the rest of the season.

Same problem here. Lately what I've been doing is cutting it back to just about 6 inches above where the foliage branches off from the main stems. Then I wrap the main stems together tightly enough so that what took up a 4-foot round space now only takes up a 2-foot round space. Seems to be working OK.

Interesting ideas on managing Baptisia. I'm having the same trouble. I do enjoy the plant and I actually have the room for it, but it is in part sun which makes it flop more. And I planted it too close to the house, so it's just not sitting right in the bed and it bugs me. I have a Peony ring around it but that's too low and I need to do something else.

I actually did try digging it out a couple of years ago. We gave up on that idea. lol We've actually dug out 20 year old shrubs, small trees, etc. and this is one of the few we gave up on. I don't know, maybe we were tired that day. It doesn't make sense. I'm going to have to give it a try again. I wanted to divide it and move it but left it there.

So maybe I need to try some of these ideas of cutting the stems that are in the wrong place and staking it up a little better to make it more narrow.

My experience was the same as prairiemoon2's. I dig and move large shrubs on a pretty regular basis - no problem. I had a baptisia that really needed moved, so started digging. I was shocked! I dug and dug and used every "get it out of there" trick I could think of. It wouldn't budge.

I ended up having to get the pruners out to cut its deep, woody roots before finally prying the now-mangled mess out of the hole.

It survived -- well, at least so far, but it's definitely only a fraction of its former self. :-)

I have removed mine. Mine did not flop and was beautiful, but it was a plant for a garden at least 5 times bigger than mine to show it properly. Its roots were very far reaching, sucking life out of smaller neighbors.

Kevin, you could replace it with Baptisia australis var. minor. Looks the same as the parent, but only grows 2' x 2'. In fact, I think I think I'll add one to one of my gardens.

And at this size, it never needs staking.

What would people recommend as the best method to stake my Baptisia "Solar Flare". The flowers all fell over in the wind and heavy rain we had this spring.

The size issue for traditional Baptisia kept me from putting this wonderful plant in my garden. But supposedly the newer Baptisia in the "Decadence" series is much more compact....3 foot by 3 foot. Because of this I have planted "Lemon Meringue".

I didn't realize there was a smaller version of this one. I'll check it out. Thanks.

Sounds like I'm not the only one dealing with this. I like the suggestions provided, but a more basic question is: "Is it a good idea to grow something you constantly have to manipulate in order for it to work in your garden?"

I generally stay away from plants like that, but for some reason I'm doing it with this one. Maybe some soul-searching is in order for me. (Not to get all deep and philosophical, but you know what I mean.)

So far my method for dealing with this plant is 3 heavy garden stakes placed as close to the plant as possible and then some garden twine wrapped around the plant and stakes. You have to do this early in the season, otherwise the huge balloon of foliage is just too difficult to deal with. And then there's the problem if the twine breaks mid-season. Hate that.

Kevin

Kevin, not only that, but a plant that you have to be sure you know where you want it because once it gets established, it's quite a job to move it. And I'm the kind of gardener that is forever moving plants. Having said that, I bought two small baptisia plants this spring and planted them in another bed...lol. They are pretty small still and hearing that there are smaller versions of it, I may look into that and dig up the others next spring.

I bought some of the newer butterfly bushes that were supposed to be smaller versions and so far, they definitely are and I'm on year three this year.

I've always tried to do as low maintenance as possible, but little by little, I seem to have ended up with plants or situations that still require a little something more than I thought I was going to have to do. Support for a Baptisia? No way...lol. Annabelle Hydrangea, I was under the impression it took care of itself and every year it's on the ground. Clearly if I had the right info before I bought it, I would have known that is to be expected. My fault on that one. But I do enjoy Annabelle, so next year, I'm going to stake it. *sigh*

prairiemoon - You're absolutely correct about knowing what you're getting into.

I just figured out why I'm having a problem deciding about this plant. It originally came from a dear friend. At the time, I had no idea what it was and neither did she. When it bloomed, I figured it out. Her plant came from her grandmother and she always referred to it as "Grandma's bush".

My friends plant died, so this is the last of it. She also does not live in that house any longer and is renting, so she doesn't have a garden. She doesn't stop by all that often, but when she does, she looks for this plant in my garden. If it's suddenly gone, what do I say? For the record, I can lie when I know it's the better thing to do, but I don't like to do that generally.

I've kind of decided, I want it gone, but the other situation makes me take pause for the moment.

Kevin

Yes, that is a dilemma. Such a treasure to have a plant from a loved family member. Something I've never had. It's too bad that this person doesn't have a garden, because that would have been perfect if you were able to offer her the plant or a portion of it, back again, after she lost hers. I wonder if she has a friend with a garden that could accomodate it? Even if you save the seeds from it? Or maybe there is some institute that she or her family frequent that would like a donation of the plant for their grounds, like a library or something? I've seen a lot of traffic medians that are planted now. Maybe in the town her family grew up in, might like a plant to add to a median strip? It might be a nice project for your friend to find a location for it. Maybe you can find a compromise that is a win/win for both of you.

Funny, how sometimes we don't know what is blocking us from a decision about something and then suddenly...it dawns on us.