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Chinese Indigo

Indigofera incarnata (in-dih-GAH-fer-uh in-kar-NAY-tuh)

Family: Fabaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Commonly known as Chinese indigo, this deciduous shrub grows on streams and in woodlands in its native Japan and China and is suited to average well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil and medium moisture. It can be sun, but in a hot, humid atmosphere, it benefits from afternoon shade. It can also suffer damage to the branch tips in a harsh winter. As it flowers on new growth, it is best to prune to close to the ground or to live growth very early in the spring or even late winter. This indigo is spreading at 3-4 feet wide and 1-2 1/2 feet tall. It's leaves are dark green of 8 inch pinnate leaflets and can be used for indigo dye. The flowering time is concentrated June and July and may be extended to September in sporadic blooms. The pea-shaped pink blooms are held in narrow racemes of 4-8 inches. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Native alternatives Viburnum dentatum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
7-13 leaflets pinnately compound and dark green.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Wisteria-like in early summer but sporadic blooms until fall.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South China to Japan
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Legume

Uses (ethnobotany)

Used for indigo colored dye.

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Garden tags
#deciduous #full sun tolerant #rock garden #spreading #slopes #heat tolerant #flowers early summer #showy flowers #low maintenance #drought tolerant #summer flowers #dye plant #pink flowers #partial shade tolerant #container plant
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Drought; Heat

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.