Amorpha canescens
Lead plant
Also known as Amorpha brachycarpa
- Height × spread
- 1.3m × 1.3m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- 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 small shrub which has rather grey foliage, hairy and pinnate so the effect is very soft and fine. The plant is almost inconsequential as it is so discreet. It has soft violet flowers that carry orange anthers and come in late summer or early autumn. They are columnar and the individual blooms are close-pressed upon them. The plant is late to come into leaf. The leaves can come so late that one is almost on the point of digging it up. In the wild it comes from the dry prairies in north America. Its presence is reputed to indicate that minerals such as lead tin and silver are also present. Needs placing with care so foliage can be seen as a contrast to other more ample foliage forms. A gentle presence in a moderate sized rock garden as well where plants can be closely observed.
- Flower colour
- Purple
- Foliage colour
- Grey
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 1.3m
- Spread
- 1.3m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Gravel garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Structural
- Hazards
- No
Spring
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 hard to the base
Prune back to within 30cm to 45cm of the plant base so that the year's growth will begin from this low framework. If you want the plant to grow larger, this need only be done every few years.
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.