False Indigo Amorpha fruticosa
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called False Indigo:
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-MOR-fah froo-tih-KOH-sah
- Description
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False Indigo is a deciduous native shrub in the Fabaceae (bean) family. It is typically found growing in moist open woodlands, roadsides, canyons, floodplains, gravel bars, stream and pond banks, and along swamp edges. The genus name Amorpha is Greek for amorphos which means formless or deformed, and refers to the flowers which having only one petal are very different from other members of the pea family.
Plant in the full sun to partial shade moist to dry soil. It is tolerant of a large range of soil types.
The pinnately compound leaves are clustered on the upper third of the plant and give it a fine texture and an airy appearance. It spreads easily by seeds and suckers, and can form dense thickets. The horizontal growth creates a situation where its spread will often be greater than its height.
Use this plant in a woodland or bog garden, along a pond margin or stream bank.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Typically has no serious disease or insect issues. Leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust, and twig canker are diseases that may have some effect on the plants' overall health. Its a
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Albiflora'
White flowers - 'Coerulea'
Pale blue flowers - 'Crispa'
Leaflets crinkled - 'Dark Lance'
Rich green globular plant with pruple flowers that subtend golden brown filaments. - 'Lewisii'
Large flowers - 'Pendula'
Arching branches form a dome shape
- 'Albiflora'
- 'Albiflora', 'Coerulea', 'Crispa', 'Dark Lance', 'Lewisii', 'Pendula'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Albiflora'
White flowers - 'Coerulea'
Pale blue flowers - 'Crispa'
Leaflets crinkled - 'Dark Lance'
Rich green globular plant with pruple flowers that subtend golden brown filaments. - 'Lewisii'
Large flowers - 'Pendula'
Arching branches form a dome shape
- 'Albiflora'
- 'Albiflora', 'Coerulea', 'Crispa', 'Dark Lance', 'Lewisii', 'Pendula'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Amorpha
- Species:
- fruticosa
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southern United States
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract butterflies, nectar-bees, and other pollinator insects. It is a larval host for the California & southern dogfaces, Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Gray hairstreak, Hoary edge skipper. Foliage browsed by small mammals.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Easy to Grow
- Fragrance
- Textural
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- poor and dry soil, tolerate poor site conditions
- Edibility:
- Not edible
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Horizontal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small, warty, kidney-shaped seed pods
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Each flower has a single petal and is very much unlike other flowers in the pea family. This plant has narrow, 8 to 20 in. racemes of dense, clusters of deep purple or blue flowers with gold stamens in summer. The blooming period is 2-3 weeks any time from April to June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Velvety
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves dull gray-green. Each contains 11 to 35 spiny-tipped leaflets with toothless margins. The leaflets are elliptic to oval in shape with a notch at the tip. They turn a modest yellow in the fall (fall color). The underside of the leaves has a velvety feel.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- Relatively smooth, scattered lenticels.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Multi-stemmed. The lower stems are woody. Upper stems are dull green.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Slope/Bank
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Water Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Dry Soil
- Poor Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
