Amorpha fruticosa
False Indigobush
An average sized, deciduous shrub in the low desert, this species can grow to 12’ tall in favorable conditions. Summer brings fragrant, blackish purple flowers. This plant can form dense thickets and reseeds readily.
Full sun to bright shade, moderate to regular water (more water in sunnier spots), hardy to -30°F.
Fragrant flowers that attract all sorts of pollinators especially butterflies. Butterfly larval host for the blue spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), southern dogface (Zerene cesonia), California Dogface (Zerene eurydice), hoary edge (Achalarus lyciades) gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and the marine blue (Leptotes marina). Moth larval host for the io moth (Automeris io), tortrix leaf roller moths (family Tortricidae), and snout moths (family Pyralidae).
Stems used for bedding material, for arrows, and as a way to cover the ground to keep meat clean while butchering. This species was used by early settlers as an alternative to real Indigo to make a blue colored dye, hence its common name "false indigo". The crushed fruit has been used as a condiment and there has been some evidence that it may be useful in helping people with metabolic disease.
Amorpha comes from the Greek word amorphos for deformed, while fruticosa comes from Latin frutex, meaning shrubby or bushy.
Found in canyons and along stream banks from 2,000-6,000 ft. throughout the entire United States, and slipping in here and there into neighboring Canada and Mexico.