Indigofera heterantha

RHS Plant Profile
Himalayan indigo

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Indigofera heterantha?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
Himalayan indigo RHS
Himalayan indigo visionspictures.com
Himalayan indigo visionspictures.com

Synonyms

Indigofera gerardiana

Award of Garden Merit
Shrubs
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
23 Suppliers

A medium-sized deciduous shrub, herbaceous in colder areas and then making up to 1.2m annual growth. Leaves pinnate with 13-21 small leaflets. Flowers 12mm, rosy-purple, in racemes to 12cm in length from early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 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
North–facing or West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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
Correct
Plant Range
NW Himalaya

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Banks and slopes
  • 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