Himalayan Indigo Indigofera heterantha
- Phonetic Spelling
- in-dee-GO-fer-uh het-er-AN-thuh
- Description
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Another shrub of the pea family, this indigofera is often called Himalayan indigo, and is native to Himalaya as well as Afghanistan to Tibet. It is suited to a range of soil conditions including clay. well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil and medium moisture. It can be sun, heat and drought tolerant when mature; but in a hot, humid atmosphere, it benefits from afternoon shade. It can also suffer damage to the branch tips in a harsh winter. As it flowers on new growth, it is best to prune to close to the ground or to live growth very early in the spring or even late winter.
As wide as it is tall, 4-6 feet, it's leaves are grey green to blue green of 4-6 inch pinnate leaflets, but the fall color is not distinguished. The flowering time is summer. The pea-shaped blooms of pink to rose to lilac are held in dense racemes of 3-5 inches and are followed by dark purple seed pods.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Indigofera
- Species:
- heterantha
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Hedge,
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Afghanistan to Tibet and Himalaya
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Open
- Rounded
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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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
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- Dark purple seed pods.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 3-5 in erect racemes
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Heat
