Indigofera cylindrica1
Edward F. Gilman2
Introduction
Indigo has pinnately compound leaves borne on slender, green stems typical of many plants in the legume family. Its upright growth habit eventually forms a rounded vase shape canopy about 6 feet tall.
General Information
Scientific name: Indigofera cylindrica
Pronunciation: in-dig-GOFF-fur-uh sil-LIN-drick-uh
Common name(s): indigo
Family: Leguminaceae
Plant type: shrub
USDA hardiness zones: 10 through 11 (Fig. 1)
Planting month for zone 7: year round
Planting month for zone 8: year round
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round
Figure 1.
Shaded area represents potential planting range.
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]
Origin: not native to North America
Uses: specimen; border
Availability: grown in small quantities by a small number of nurseries
Description
Height: 4 to 8 feet
Spread: 5 to 7 feet
Plant habit: round
Plant density: dense
Growth rate: moderate
Texture: fine
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: odd-pinnately compound
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: elliptic (oval)
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: pink
Flower characteristic: showy
Fruit
Fruit shape: unknown
Fruit length: unknown
Fruit cover: unknown
Fruit color: unknown
Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: typically multi-trunked or clumping stems; not particularly showy
Current year stem/twig color: green
Current year stem/twig thickness: thin
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun
Soil tolerances: acidic; alkaline; sand; loam; clay;
Drought tolerance: moderate
Soil salt tolerances: unknown
Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
Other
Roots: sprouts from roots or lower trunk
Winter interest: no special winter interest
Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected by pests
Use and Management
Fine-textured foliage and a neat habit makes this a good candidate for specimen planting in the garden. Young plants may be sparsely branched, but a little heading on the main stems in the spring or summer increases canopy density and branchiness. It also makes a nice candidate for planting in a container for display on the deck or patio, or by an entrance to your home or business. The unusual texture gives it a means to stand out in a shrub border or other mass planting.
Full sun to part shade give the best growth. The plant appears to adapt to a wide range of soil pH.
.
Footnotes
This document is FPS-282, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date October 1999. Revised May 2007. Reviewed June 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions
that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
For more information on obtaining other extension publications,
contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place,
Dean.
