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Cox, Paul
Amorpha fruticosa L.
Indigo bush, False indigo bush, False indigo, Desert false indigo
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Synonyms: Amorpha fruticosa var. occidentalis
USDA Symbol: AMFR
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.
False indigo-bush is a 6-10 ft., loose, airy shrub which often forms dense thickets. Plants develop a leggy character with the majority of their pinnately compound, fine-textured foliage on the upper third of the plant. Leaflets velvety on the lower surface, margins frequently almost parallel, often abruptly rounded at both ends and with a notch at the tip. Flowers small, purple to dark blue with yellow stamens extending beyond the single petal, crowded in narrow, 3-6 in., spikelike clusters at or near the ends of the branchlets, appearing from April to June. Fruit small, up to 3/8 inch long and with blisterlike glands visible under a 10x hand lens. This is a deciduous plant.
This shrub, which often forms thickets on riverbanks and islands, can be weedy or invasive in the northeast. Another False Indigo (A. herbacea) has whitish to blue-violet flowers in fan-like masses on top of the plant and gray-downy foliage with up to 40 leaflets. The genus name, from the Greek amorphos (formless or deformed), alludes to the fact that the flower, with only a single petal (the banner or standard), is unlike the typical pea flowers of the family.
View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Class: 6-12 ft.
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Leaf Margin: Entire
Leaf Apex: Mucronate
Breeding System: Hermaphroditic
Fruit Type: Legume
Leaf Color: Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Orange , Blue , Purple , VioletBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Corolla deep violet-purple, anthers orange, style purplish.
Distribution
USA: AL , AZ , AR , CA , CO , CT , DE , FL , GA , ID , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WA , WV , WI , WY , DCCanada: MB , ON
Native Distribution: NJ to s.e. WI, MN, Sask. & WY, s. to FL, TX & n. Mex.,S. CA to NM & adjacent Mex.
Native Habitat: Stream & pond edges; gravel bars, open woods; roadsides, canyons.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Aquatic: yes
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist soils to dry sands. pH adaptable. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Acid-based, Calcareous.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Fast growing, Attractive, Blooms ornamental, Bog or pond area, Water gardenUse Wildlife: Nectar-bees, Nectar-butterflies, Nectar-insects, Browse.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Fragrant Foliage: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: California & southern dogfaces, Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Gray hairstreak, Hoary edge skipper.
Deer Resistant: High
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Amorpha fruticosa is a larval host and/or nectar source for:|
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)  Larval Host |
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)  Larval Host |
California Dogface (Zerene eurydice)  Larval Host |
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)  Larval Host |
|
Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)  Larval Host |
Propagation
Description: Propagation is possible by scarified seed and softwood or hardwood cuttings.Seed Collection: Collect in late summer or early fall when the pod turns yellowish brown and begins to dry. Air dry and store in sealed, refrigerated containers for three to five years.
Seed Treatment: Mechanically nick the seed, soak in hot water for 10 minutes, or scarify in concentrated sulfuric acid five to eight minutes.
Commercially Avail: yes
PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants
Amorpha fruticosa (Desert false indigo) is a PlantWise native alternative for:Find Seed or Plants
Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Question: We live in upstate new york( zone 5) with full sun and clay soil. What flowers/flowering shrubs would be successful in this environment?
click here to view the full question and answer
Question: Hello, we live west of Ft Worth. We are looking for tall plants to form a visual screen along a chain link fence we share with a neighbor. We have post oaks there and it is very shady and the ground is sandy and sloping. Our neighbor has planted eleagnus along her side but it is only a few feet tall. The fence line is about 100 feet long and we would like a variety of native plants 6 to 10 foot tall. Can you suggest anything?
click here to view the full question and answer
From the National Suppliers Directory
According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery - Orefield, PA
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Bibliography
Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
* Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Recommended Species Lists
Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.
View Recommended Species pageAdditional resources
USDA: Find Amorpha fruticosa in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Amorpha fruticosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Amorpha fruticosa
Metadata
Record Modified: 2009-06-14Research By: NPC, MWJ
