Indigofera heterantha
Indigofera heterantha (syn. Indigofera gerardiana), commonly known as Himalayan indigo, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to the northwestern Himalayas of Tibet, in Asia.
| Indigofera heterantha | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Indigofera |
| Species: | I. heterantha |
| Binomial name | |
| Indigofera heterantha | |
It belongs to the same genus as plants used to produce indigo dye.
Description
Indigofera heterantha is a deciduous shrub growing to 2–3 m (7–10 ft) tall and broad, with pinnate leaves, each leaf carrying up to 21 grey-green oval leaflets, and racemes of purple pea-like flowers in summer.[1][2]
The Latin specific epithet heterantha means "with various or diverse flowers".[3]
Cultivation
Indigofera heterantha is cultivated as an ornamental plant for a position in bright sunlight. It is drought tolerant and very hardy, down to −15 °C (5 °F) However, in colder areas it can be herbaceous, meaning that at the end of the season it dies back down to ground level before regrowing the following year.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4][5]
References
- RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- Ursula Buchan (1 August 2008). "telegraph.co.uk - Indigofera heterantha". UK: The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
- "RHS Plant Selector - Indigofera heterantha AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
- "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 52. Retrieved 12 March 2018.