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Indigofera decora

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

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • Nitrogen fixer
    Nitrogen fixer
    There are no details available for this function.
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline,very alkaline
    Acid to Very alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Loamy
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 5
    Zone 5
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Indigofera decora has 0 edible uses listed
Indigofera decora has 0 medicinal uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Seed - cooked[1][2]. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then mixed with wheat flour or other cereals when making bread, cakes etc[3].

Seed

Unknown use

Material uses

There are no material uses listed for Indigofera decora.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

A broth made from the leafy shoots is used in the treatment of cough, dyspepsia, haemorrhage and poisoning[4].

Unknown part

Miscellany

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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[5].

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel if possible, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage[5]. Overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring or early summer[6]. Root cuttings 3cm long in December. Good percentage[5].

Suckers. Remove them in the dormant season, preferably towards the end of winter, and plant out into their permanent positions.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Indigofera decora. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Requires a light or medium well-drained soil and a warm sunny position[6][7][8]. Succeeds on chalk[6]. Prefers growing in areas with warm summers[8].

Plants are hardy to about -10°c[8]. 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[9]. A very ornamental plant[10], it is closely related to I. fortunei[9]. The flowers, which are borne over a period of about 20 weeks, have a vanilla scent[11]. 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].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Indigofera decora. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Indigofera decora.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Indigofera decora
Genus
Indigofera
Family
Leguminosae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3]
Medicinal uses
[4]
Material uses & Functions
Botanic
[6][12][7]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Nitrogen fixer
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
5
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    None listed.
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    deciduous
    Herbaceous or Woody
    woody
    Life Cycle
    perennial
    Growth Rate
    ?
    Mature Size
    0.5 x 1 meters
    Fertility
    ?
    Pollinators
    Insects
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    hermaphrodite











    References

    1. ? 1.01.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)
    2. ? 2.02.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
    3. ? 3.03.1 Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre (1977-00-00)
    4. ? 4.04.1 Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-917256-20-4 (1985-00-00)
    5. ? 5.05.15.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
    6. ? 6.06.16.26.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
    7. ? 7.07.17.27.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
    8. ? 8.08.18.2 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. ISBN 0-330-37376-5 (1998-00-00)
    9. ? 9.09.1 Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
    10. ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
    11. ? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)
    12. ? Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution (1965-00-00)


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    Facts about "Indigofera decora"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteYes +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupYes +
    Belongs to familyLeguminosae +
    Belongs to genusIndigofera +
    Functions asNitrogen fixer +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has edible partSeeds +
    Has edible useUnknown use +
    Has fertility typeInsects +
    Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
    Has hardiness zone5 +
    Has lifecycle typePerennial +
    Has mature height0.5 +
    Has mature width1 +
    Has medicinal partUnknown part +
    Has medicinal useMiscellany +
    Has search nameindigofera decora + and x +
    Has shade toleranceNo shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral +, Alkaline + and Very alkaline +
    Has soil teloamyture preferenceLoamy +
    Has soil tesandyture preferenceSandy +
    Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomy nameIndigofera decora +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Is deciduous or evergreenDeciduous +
    Is herbaceous or woodyWoody +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +