Indigofera heterantha
Indigo bush, Himalayan indigo
Also known as Indigofera gerardiana
- Height × spread
- 2m × 3.5m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This is a charming plant that does particularly well against a wall or in a hot, dry site in full sun. Although it may be cut back to the ground in severe winters, it generally grows back again with multiple shoots. Its long, fine, elegant pinnate leaves give a lovely light, frothy effect and are usually held forward, almost horizontally. The flowers are small but plentiful, forming columnar clusters of purple-rose, pea-shaped flowers in the late summer and autumn. The flowers grow on the current year's wood, hence its resilience to bad weather.
- Flower colour
- Lilac, Pink, Purple
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Stem colour
- Brown, Grey
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, sweet-vanilla
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 2m
- Spread
- 3.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Small scale garden, Scented garden, Prairie garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Wall cover, Structural
- Walls
- South, West facing
- Hazards
- No
- Pet safe
- Yes – listed in our pet-safe plants
AutumnNow
Autumn - late · Outdoors
Apply mulch
Spread organic material around the plant being careful not to bury its crown, or to put the mulch above the point at which the plant has been grafted in the case of trees.
A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Spring - early · Planting
Prune annually or for renovation
Prune annually to remove dead or damaged growth and misplaced branches. Occasionally to renovate the plant, replace annual pruning by more drastic renovation pruning where the shrub is taken back to a cluster of stems 30cm - 45cm above the ground.
Planting & general
Outdoor planting · Planting
Add root growth stimulant to the planting hole
Mycorrhizal fungi helps roots establish quickly, so they absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. It comes as a powder, granule or gel. Add to the planting hole or container, and to the plant's rootball before planting in the hole. For "bareroot" plants use a gel.