Amorpha herbacea: Country Or Region Of Origin
Southeast United States
Plant Profile: Amorpha herbacea
Taxonomy: Amorpha herbaceaNames
Clusterspike False Indigo, Dwarf Indigo Bush, Leadplant
Phonetic Spelling:ah-MOR-fah her-bah-SEE-uh
Genus:Amorpha
Species:herbacea
Family:Fabaceae
The dwarf indigo bush, a deciduous shrub native to North Carolina, belongs to the pea family (Fabaceae). It typically thrives in sandy river terraces and pine flatwoods. Although its flowering period is brief, this plant can serve as an attractive backdrop for smaller species, adding a unique texture to the landscape.
Amorpha herbacea Feature Summary
Amorpha herbacea Image Gallery
Tags
#purple
#white
#deciduous
#white flowers
#shrub
#purple flowers
#spring flowers
#summer flowers
#spring interest
#larval host plant
#food source summer
#food source herbage
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#coastal FAC
#Piedmont Mountains FAC
#native
#bird friendly
#butterfly friendly
#bee friendly
Similar Plants
Amorpha herbacea is often confused with:
Amorpha herbacea Feature Summary
Attributes
Southeast United States
AL , FL , GA , NC , SC
Host plant for the silver-spotted skipper and southern dogface butterflies. Attracts native bees.
Not edible
Perennial
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Root Cutting
Leaf Cutting
Attracts Pollinators
Wildlife Larval Host
Fruit
Flattened pod .5" long. Displays from July to August.
Legume
Brown/Copper
Summer
< 1 inch
Flowers
May-July flower spikes 6-8 inches long white to lavender petals
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Spring
Summer
Leaves
The veined leaves are alternate with 25-33 opposite leaflets hairless.
Deciduous
Green
Gray/Silver
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Lobed
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Shrub
Native Plant
Deciduous
Horizontal
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
3 feet-6 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Stem
Purple/Lavender
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Water Garden
Border
Hedge
Mass Planting
Accent
Screen/Privacy
Specimen
Barrier
Patio
Walkways
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Slope/Bank
Coastal
Riparian
Pond
Near Septic
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Small Mammals
Amorpha herbacea Image Gallery
Amorpha herbacea Attributes
Amorpha herbacea: Distribution
AL , FL , GA , NC , SC
Amorpha herbacea: Wildlife Value
Host plant for the silver-spotted skipper and southern dogface butterflies. Attracts native bees.
Amorpha herbacea: Edibility
Not edible
Amorpha herbacea: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Amorpha herbacea: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Amorpha herbacea: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Amorpha herbacea Fruit
Amorpha herbacea: Fruit Description
Flattened pod .5" long. Displays from July to August.
Amorpha herbacea: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Amorpha herbacea: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Amorpha herbacea: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Amorpha herbacea: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Amorpha herbacea Flowers
Amorpha herbacea: Flower Description
May-July flower spikes 6-8 inches long white to lavender petals
Amorpha herbacea: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Amorpha herbacea: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Amorpha herbacea: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Amorpha herbacea: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Amorpha herbacea Leaves
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Description
The veined leaves are alternate with 25-33 opposite leaflets hairless.
Amorpha herbacea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Color
Gray/Silver
Green
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Amorpha herbacea: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Amorpha herbacea: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Amorpha herbacea Whole Plant Traits
Amorpha herbacea: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Amorpha herbacea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Amorpha herbacea: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Amorpha herbacea Cultural Conditions
Amorpha herbacea: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Amorpha herbacea: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Amorpha herbacea: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Amorpha herbacea: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Amorpha herbacea Stem
Amorpha herbacea: Stem Color
Purple/Lavender
Amorpha herbacea: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Amorpha herbacea Landscape
Amorpha herbacea: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Amorpha herbacea: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Amorpha herbacea: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Amorpha herbacea: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
