False Indigo, Bare Root

False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)

False Indigo, also known as Indigo Bush, is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing native shrub found along streambanks, floodplains, and wetlands across much of the U.S. This leguminous, open-form shrub offers strong ecological value—improving soil, stabilizing erosion-prone sites, and supporting pollinators with its unique late-spring to early-summer blooms. With its adaptability to wet or dry soils and its usefulness in restoration and permaculture systems, False Indigo is a tough, functional shrub for regenerative landscapes.

Key Characteristics

• Nitrogen-fixer for soil-building and fertility support
  As a member of the legume family, False Indigo forms symbiotic relationships with root bacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available forms, improving soil health and benefiting nearby trees and crops in food forests and silvopasture systems.
• Excellent pollinator plant with distinctive flowers
  Its bottlebrush spikes of deep purple flowers with orange stamens bloom from late spring to early summer, attracting native bees, honeybees, and beneficial predatory insects. The bloom timing makes it especially valuable for extending the flowering season in pollinator plantings.
• Ideal for erosion control and wetland restoration
  Naturally found in riparian areas, False Indigo is highly effective at stabilizing banks and filtering runoff. Its spreading root system helps control erosion, making it a go-to species for streamside plantings, rain gardens, and bioswales.
• Supports wildlife and insect shelter
  Dense branching and multi-stemmed growth provide nesting cover for birds and shelter for amphibians and beneficial insects. Though not a key larval host plant, it contributes structural habitat diversity in native plantings.
• Tough and adaptable for challenging sites
  False Indigo tolerates a wide range of soil types—including clay, sand, and gravel—and grows in both wet and moderately dry conditions. It is especially useful in disturbed areas, degraded soils, and restoration projects where resilience is key.

Product Details

• Native range: Most of the U.S., especially Central and Eastern states in riparian habitats
• Plant life cycle: Deciduous Shrub
• Sun requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil requirements: Medium-dry to medium-wet; tolerant of flooding and poor soils
• Mature height: 6–12 feet
• Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
• Bloom color: Purple with bright orange stamens
• USDA Hardiness zones: 4–9

False Indigo is a rugged, multifunctional native shrub that brings pollinator value, nitrogen fixation, and soil stability to ecological and permaculture plantings. Perfect for streambanks, wet meadows, or regenerative field edges.