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Himalayan Indigo Indigofera heterantha

Phonetic Spelling
in-dee-GO-fer-uh het-er-AN-thuh
Description

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:
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#shrub#deciduous shrub#blue-green leaves#lavender flowers#purple fruits#shrub borders
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#shrub#deciduous shrub#blue-green leaves#lavender flowers#purple fruits#shrub borders
  • 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Open
    Rounded
    Maintenance:
    Medium
  • 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
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Legume
    Fruit Description:
    Dark purple seed pods.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    3-5 in erect racemes
  • 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
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Theme:
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Heat