Indigo Bush is a thicket-forming native deciduous shrub with a spreading habit and velvety, spine-tipped pinnate foliage that turns yellow in fall. Long racemes densely packed with fragrant deep purple flowers bloom from late spring into summer, attracting butterflies. Best performance in moist to wet well-drained soils. Can tolerate sandy, poor, wet, and dry soils.
Amorpha fruticosa is a host plant for several pollinators, including; California & southern dogfaces, Silver-spotted Skipper, Gray hairstreak, and Hoary edge skipper. Learn more about planting for butterflies with Georgia natives with this brochure.
|
Type: |
|
|
Origins: |
Southern Canada and US; GA Native |
|
Height: |
4’ - 12’ |
|
Spread: |
6’ - 15’ |
|
Spacing: |
10’ |
|
USDA Hardiness Zone: |
4 - 9 |
|
Culture: |
|
|
Bloom Color: |
Purple |
|
Season of Interest: |
MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance plant. No serious pests or diseases. Some susceptibility to leaf spot, powdery mildew, twig canker and rust. Prune in late winter or early spring to improve shrub form.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Wildlife Gardens, Pond Edge Gardens, Foundation Plantings, Hedges, and Containers.
COMPANION PLANTS: Hydrangea, Buttonbush, Honeysuckle
IMAGES: Dalgial, Amorpha fruticosa 04, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Dalgial, Amorpha fruticosa 02, CC BY-SA 3.0, (3) Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Amorpha fruticosa kz05, CC BY-SA 4.0
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.
