Indigofera thrives in well-drained soil with full sunlight and regular watering, making it relatively low-maintenance. Special care points include removing faded flowers to encourage more blooming and protecting the plant from frost in cooler climates. Additionally, occasional pruning helps maintain its shape and promotes healthy growth.
Watering schedule: Every week
Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Watering Schedule | Every week |
| Sunlight Requirements | Full sun |
| Soil Type | Garden Soil |
| Soil pH | 6-7.5 |
| Hardiness Zones |
5-12
|
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Once introduced as a forage crop, hairy indigo, a legume, has become a nuisance weed in places where it's been introduced, especially in the peanut industry. It gets its common name from its hairy stems that become woody as the plant matures.
Since it has been cultivated for centuries, the native habitat of true indigo is not known. This shrub can be annual, biennial, or perennial depending on the climate where it's grown. True indigo has a long history of commercial use as a cash crop - it was a source of dark blue (indigo) dye before alternative synthetics were developed.
The roots are hard and strong. The trunk is 60 to 90 cm in height and is about 1.5 cm in diameter. The branches are elongated and green, and many branches. The leaves are alternate, odd-winged double leaves with a short petiole. Leaflets are oval or fallen oval per 4-5 pairs. The tip is round and has fine protrusions, and the base is also round and has a very short handle. It is 1 to 1.5 cm in length, 5 to 12 mm in width, and has full edge. There are many soft fur on both sides of the leaves. From summer to autumn, a flower pattern is taken out from the leaf bud, and a 3 cm long general inflorescence is added to open a beautiful purple-red butterfly-shaped flower. The flower is 5 mm long and the floret is shorter than the bud. The wings are cylindrical, split into 5 and hairy. After flowering, it produces columnar beans with a length of 3 cm, containing 3-8 seeds.
Australian indigo (Indigofera australis) is an attractive garden shrub, whose flowers provide abundant nectar for butterflies. It needs to be pruned from a young age to make it bushier and improve its shape. “Indigofera” means “containing indigo,” which some species do, but natural dyes from the leaves and stems of this plant give a pale golden color.
The coral-red flowers of coastal indigo attract birds, butterflies, and bees. The flowers occur in the early spring and last until late autumn. Its prostrate growth habit, trailing stems, and drought-tolerant nature make it an interesting choice for a xeriscape garden.
Common issues for Indigofera based on 10 million real cases
