Indigofera decora - Chinese indigo
Family Indigofera decora - Chinese indigo
Description:
About seven hundred species of Indigofera are native to warm parts of the world. Indigofera tinctoria is the commercial source of indigo dye. They are mostly shrubs. Leaves are compound. Pink to white flowers are in long, decorative spikes hanging from the branch tips in summer and fall. In Asia, reportedly, the seeds are used as food and ground to make flour.
Location:
Plants can be seen on the east side of building 10.
Size:
A low, spreading shrub to about two feet tall.
Care Instructions:
Light: full sun to part shade
Water: drought tolerant, may benefit from irrigation during a prolonged drought
Soil: a well-drained soil, no other special requirements
This plant is uncommon in Jacksonville but it shows great promise for use as a low flowering shrub or massed as a tall groundcover. For best results, grow it in part shade in a well-drained soil.