Indigofera himalayensis 'Silk Road'

RHS Plant Profile
Himalayan indigo 'Silk Road'

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Himalayan indigo 'Silk Road' RHS / Joanna Kossak
Himalayan indigo 'Silk Road' RHS
Shrubs
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'Silk Road' is a small, deciduous shrub to 1.5m, with light green, pinnate leaves with small, rounded leaflets. Pea-like, lilac-pink flowers are produced in upright spikes from late spring to late summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Fabaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Indigofera can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs, herbaceous perennials or annuals with pinnate leaves and spikes or racemes of small, pea-like flowers in summer or autumn
Name Status
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in autumn or root softwood cuttings in late spring, semi-hardwood in early to mid-summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Low Maintenance
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 1 or Pruning group 13 if wall trained, but can be hard pruned in spring if needed

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility