Indigofera australis

(Austral Indigo)

An alternative spring flowering groundcover, which is also butterfly-attracting is Indigofera. This attractive small understorey plant with fernlike bluegreen leaflets provides pretty violet-blue pea flowers in spring and looks lovely in a woodland planting amongst bulbs and thicker groundcover plants.

It is an open evergreen shrub of variable height, from one to two metres in height and width. It is best tip pruned regularly to maintain density. Plant in a mixed border or mass plant in clumps to disguise its open habit.

It is a hardy, colonising species and grows well in all states of Australia, flowering in sun or shade. It can even be planted in heavy shade. Indigofera is tolerant of drought, frost and most soils, except very wet areas.

The root nodules in this leguminous plant enable it to fix soil nitrogen to provide its own nutrients.

Photograph by Helen Moss: Plants of Melbourne's Outer East CD-Rom

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