Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Southern Tertiary Uplands
Plant Characteristics
Growth Form
Shrub
Height
6
to
12
ft.
Spread
6
to
12
ft.
Leaf Retention
Deciduous
Lifespan
Perennial
Habitat and Care Requirements
Soil Type(s)
Sand, Loam, Clay, Calcareous, Moist, Dry
Light Requirement
Sun, Part Shade
Water Requirement
Low
Native Habitat
Woodland, Wetland or Riparian
Bloom and Attraction
Bloom Color
Blue, Purple
Bloom Season
Spring
Seasonal Interest
Seeds, Nectar, Larval Host, Flowers
Wildlife Benefit
Butterflies, Birds, Hummingbirds, Moths, Bees
Maintenance
Fast growing, attractive, ornamental blooms, good choice for water gardens. Propagation Seed, Softwood cuttings, Hardwood cuttings.
Comments
Blooms April-June. False Indigo Bush is a loose, airy shrub which often forms dense thickets. The compound leaves are velvety and the flowers are small, purple to dark blue with yellow stamens growing on long spikes. Larval Host: Silver-spotted Skipper, Southern Dogface, California Dogface, Gray Hairstreak, Hoary Edge.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Amorpha angustifolia, Amorpha bushii, Amorpha croceolanata, Amorpha curtissii, Amorpha dewinkeleri, Amorpha fruticosa var. angustifolia, Amorpha fruticosa var. croceolanata, Amorpha fruticosa var. emarginata, Amorpha fruticosa var. oblongifolia, Amorpha fruticosa var. occidentalis, Amorpha fruticosa var. tennesseensis, Amorpha occidentalis, Amorpha occidentalis var. arizonica, Amorpha occidentalis var. emarginata, Amorpha tennesseensis, Amorpha virgata
References
1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AMFR. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Amorpha+fruticosa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=10348&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 6) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 230. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25368#null