False Indigo Bush (Amorpha fruticosa)

Estimated Height at Pickup: 1-2’, 1 gal

A.k.a. desert false indigo-bush and bastard indigo bush*. A woody nitrogen fixer with dark, butterfly bush-like bloom spikes! Can be allowed to grow into a large, airy bush, or pruned fall-late winter to encourage denser foliage. 

Pollination: 2+ individuals needed.

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic, Dry Mesic

Soil Type: Adaptable

Height: 4’-12’ 

Width: 6’-15’

Bloom Color: Purple

Bloom Time: Apr-Jun

Fruit: Seeds in small seedpods mature in fall.

Fall Color: Yellow

Root Type: Branching

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract mainly bees. Hosts a few butterflies including the silver-spotted skipper, dogface sulphur, and dog faced prominent, as well as a few smaller insects. Rarely browsed by deer.

Notes: Tolerates seasonal flooding, poor soils, and dry soils. Contains indigo pigment, but in too small a quantity to be commercially viable.

*Both are misnomers, as it is native to a wide variety of habitats and regarded by many as a legitimate heir to the throne.