Amorpha fruticosa
Photo by Shirley Denton. Photograph belongs to the photographer who allows use for FNPS purposes only. Please contact the photographer for all other uses.
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 8A 8B 9A 9B
2002-2022, Copyright Florida Native Plant Society
False Indigo-bush, Bastard-indigo
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Plant Specifics
| Size: | 6-12 ft tall by 6-10 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | Blue, purple | |
| Fruit Color: | Brown (legume) | |
| Phenology: | Deciduous. Blooms spring-summer. | |
| Habitats: | Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Short very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray Tolerance: | Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil/Substrate: | Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wildlife
Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).
Said to attract bees, beetles, and other insect pollinators.