Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo bush)

A member of the pea family, false indigo bush is a loose shrub growing 6–10' tall that can form dense thickets. It can be fast growing and sometimes aggressive. Plants develop a leggy character with the majority of their pinnately compound, fine-textured foliage on the upper third of the plant. The flowers are small, purple to dark blue with yellow stamens in narrow, spike-like clusters at the ends of the branchlets. It blooms from April to June in full sun to part shade. It can thrive in a range of soils from moist to dry sand, and can even tolerate clay. It is a good nectar plant and is deer resistant. Use it in a woodland or bog garden, along a pond margin or stream bank. It looks best when grouped in mass plantings.

False indigo bush is found through much of the United States in habitats including stream and pond edges, open woods, roadsides, and canyons. Bees, butterflies, and insects are attracted to the flowers for nectar. False indigo bush is also a larval host for the silver-spotted skipper, clouded sulphur, gray hairstreak, hoary edge, Io moth, marine blue, and southern dogface. Small mammals browse the foliage. The plentiful seeds are a food source for bobwhite quail.

BONAP Native Range Map. Bright green indicates native to the county, dark green indicates native to the state.