FNPS Plant Database

Amorpha fruticosa

false indigo-bush, bastard-indigo

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Nomenclature

Common Name:

false indigo-bush, bastard-indigo

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Amorpha fruticosa

Family:

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

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.

Noted For:

Interesting Bark, Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant.

Considerations:

Can become aggressive in some habitats.

Availability:

Native Plant Nurseries

Propagation:

Easily grown from seed and will likely self-seed, cuttings, air layers and suckers.

Light:

Part Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

-|---|----|-- <-------------------------> |----|--

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/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 10A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Birds, Hummingbirds, Mammals
Bees, Pollinators, Butterflies

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.

Native Habitats:

Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. 2012. Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. Natives For Your Neighborhood. https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Amorfrut , accessed 2025. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Minno, Marc and Maria Minno. 1999. Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Patton, Sean & Southworth, Kendall. 2025. Florida's Aquatic Butterfly Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Backyard Habitat for Attracting 70+ Species with 100+ Native Plants. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach.


Tras, Pamela. 2001. Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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