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False Indigo Bush
Amorpha fruticosa

False Indigo is an adaptable shrub that can tolerate a range of soil types and prefers sunny conditions. It is taller compared to Leadplant and produces tall deep purple flowers with orange stamens.

USDA symbol: AMFR

General Information

Plant TypeShrub
Height8 to 12 inches
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorPurple
False Indigo Bush (False Indigo Bush<div><em class="small">Amorpha fruticosa</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience9
Salt ToleranceLow
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsApril to June
Larval Host ofBees, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedAndrena cragini, Catocala nuptialis
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Specialists

Project Planning

Project TypeErosion Control, Rain Garden, Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils
Coefficient of Conservatism5
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands