Practical
Plants

Indigofera decora

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Indigofera genus in the family Leguminosae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.5 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked[2][4]. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then mixed with wheat flour or other cereals when making bread, cakes etc[5].

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A broth made from the leafy shoots is used in the treatment of cough, dyspepsia, haemorrhage and poisoning[8].

Product or use
Miscellany

Ecology and functions

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
River banks and old stone walls in C. and S. Japan[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow February in a warm greenhouse. The germination can be variable. Prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle and overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for the first winter, planting out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts[12]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel if possible, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage[12]. Overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring or early summer[3]. Root cuttings 3cm long in December. Good percentage[12]. Suckers. Remove them in the dormant season, preferably towards the end of winter, and plant out into their permanent positions.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a light or medium well-drained soil and a warm sunny position[3][7][10]. Succeeds on chalk[3]. Prefers growing in areas with warm summers[10]. Plants are hardy to about -10°c[10]. The top-growth is not very winter-hardy however, the stems are often cut back by cold weather but new shoots are produced in spring and these flower in late summer[6]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is closely related to I. fortunei[6]. The flowers, which are borne over a period of about 20 weeks, have a vanilla scent[9]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[7]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  5. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  6. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

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  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  10. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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  12. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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