false indigo

Bare root, 1 year old rooted stem cuttings.

False indigo is one of the best nitrogen fixing leguminous shrubs native to much of the US. It responds very well to coppicing/pollarding and is easy to propagate. I generally plant them as an understory shrub at the drip-line of older, well-established fruit/nut canopy trees. These are then coppiced annually if desired.

Large lateral roots and tolerance of moist soils also make this a great candidate to assist in stream bank restoration and mitigate soil erosion.

Plant details:
Genus & species: Amorpha fruticosa
Hardiness: Zone 4 to zone 9
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Soil type: Tolerant of a variety of soil types
Soil moisture: Average to moist