False Indigo Bush
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Also known as Indigo Bush, False Indigo Bush, False Indigo, Desert False Indigo.
False indigo is a deciduous shrub that typically grows to 4-12 feet tall (less frequently 20 feet) with a spread exceeding its height. The plant is native to moist open woodlands, floodplains, stream banks, and swamp margins from central and eastern Canada south through much of the U.S. into northern Mexico. The leaves of this plant are compound and odd-pinnate. The leaflets of this plant are oval to elliptic, dull gray-green, with glandular dots and toothless margins. Each leaf contains 11 to 35 leaflets with spiny tips.
The tubular scented flowers (to 3/8 inch long) bloom in dense spike-shaped clusters (racemes) between May and June. Flowers are purple with a single-petaled corolla and ten protruding stamens with orange-yellow anthers. Fruits mature in July and August in small, resinous-dotted pods containing 1-2 seeds. Amorpha canescens (lead plant) grows much larger.
It proliferates in average, medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. It tolerates occasional flooding and can tolerate poor, sandy, somewhat dry soils. It may spread by self-seeding and/or suckers to form thickets. In some parts of its range, it is considered weedy/invasive, particularly in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. It is recommended to prune in late winter to early spring to improve shrub form.
BONAP MAP
Height: 4’-12’
Spread 4’-15’
Bloom: April-June
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Medium, High
Zone: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Origin: Southern United States
Deer Resistant: No
Winter Shipping: We will continue to ship throughout winter. If you prefer, we are happy to hold your order until spring; please include that request in your shipping notes.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
