Indigofera kirilowii Kirilow's indigo
size/type
medium-sized shrub,small shrub
usual height
0,5-0,8m
usual width
0,5-1,3m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
June-August
location
full sun
USDA zone (lowest)
5 (down to -29°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Description of the plant:
Indigo is a genus of over 700 species from various habitats. The African species indigofera tinctorial was historically the first source of blue dye before lapis lazuli was discovered. Chinese indigo – Kirilow’s indigo comes from Korea, north China and South Japan.Kirilow’s indigo is a small deciduous flowering shrub producing a profusion of pea-like flowers. They are bright rosy pink and are composed in 10-13 cm long, terminal racemes from early June. Under ideal conditions new shoots with flowering buds keep on growing all summer long and flowers are produced continuously. Its deciduous, compound leaves are soft green and look like dwarf locust leaves. The plant form almost horizontal subshrubs usually not taller than one meter and a little wider.
Indigo is best grown in very fertile, perfectly drained soil in full sun, it hates compacted or water-logged ground. Under such conditions you can expect a lovely, bushy and dense shrub with profusion of flowers from June until August, creating a typical atmosphere of its home. For best results it should be cut back every spring to encourage new growths (like buddleja or caryopteris – remove 70-80% of previous year’s growths). Keep it mulched all year as it hates long lasting drought. Hardy to about -29°C (USDA zone 5) but is supposed to take a few degrees lower and acts like a perennial coming back from its roots.
Last update 09-06-2020
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
