Indigofera (lat. Indigofera) is a perennial deciduous shrub with a long flowering period. The habitat of the plant is the Himalayas. It survives well in temperate climates. The genus indigophera is very numerous and has more than 300 species.
Botanical Description
The plant belongs to the legume family. In the genus there are grassy, semi-shrub and shrub species. The ground part is covered with rare villi that give it a silky feel. The leaves are attached to long stalks, up to 30 cm in size, in pairs in the amount of 3-31 pieces per stalk. Whole-edge small leaves on the stem are arranged alternately and reach a length of 3-5 cm. The shape of the leaf is oval with a pointed edge. The leaves begin to bloom from mid-May to early June.
In the sinuses, long, lush, spiky inflorescences up to 15 cm in size are formed. Each flower resembles a small moth of pink, purple or white color. The calyx is bell-shaped and consists of five serrated petals of the same size. In some varieties, the lower petal is slightly longer than the rest. In the core of each flower there are up to a dozen filiform stamens and one sessile ovary. Flowering begins in July and continues until frost.
After the flowers fade, fruits form. Bob has a spherical or elongated shape. The pods are dark, with a slight whitish pubescence, independently open as they mature. Each pod has 4-6 seeds.
Varieties
- Indigofer Gerard reaches a height of 1.8 m. This deciduous shrub begins flowering in August and fades only in October. Unpaired leaves are collected on long petioles and have the property of closing at night. Inflorescences are dense, pink-purple, odorless. The average length of each of them is 15 cm. In a temperate climate, the plant does not have time to form fruits, therefore it only propagates vegetatively. Shrubs are very undemanding in care and grow quickly. Sensitive to severe frosts, therefore, require good shelter for the winter.
Indigofer Gerard - Indigofer South - A tall, sprawling shrub with arched branches. In width, as well as in height, it reaches 1.8 m. Since the beginning of summer, it is abundantly covered with dark green, gray foliage and lilac-pink flowers. With the onset of frost, the leaves fall first, which leads to the transition of the plant to the dormant phase. But even at this time it is quite decorative due to the dark arched beans. Resistance to frost is average, needs shelter.
Indigofer South - Indigofer dyeing - a shrub or grassy plant 1.2-1.5 m high. Unpaired leaves up to 15 cm long consist of 7-13 leaves. Each of them is folded in half at night. In July, axillary peduncles up to 20 cm long with pink moth flowers form. The variety is characterized in that the dried and powdered foliage is used to obtain a blue dye.
Indigofer dyeing - Indigofer false-dyeing widely distributed in China. A sprawling deciduous shrub quickly grows to 1.8-2 m in height and 1.5-1.7 m in width. It has a long and plentiful flowering from July to November. The flowers are bright, purple and pink. The plant does not tolerate frosts and requires significant pruning. Otherwise, the shoots are frozen. The variety has an interesting variety - Eldorado with bright pink flowers. Each petal is twisted outward, which gives the inflorescences an openwork look.
Indigofer false-dyeing - Indigofer decorative widespread in Japan and China. It differs from other types of compactness. Bushes in height do not exceed 60 cm, and in width - 1 m. A dense crown consists of many annual arched shoots. She is able to bend to the ground without any damage and completely restore its shape. The leaves are small, ovoid, with a pointed edge. Located on petioles up to 25 cm long in the amount of 7-13 pieces. The upper side of the leaves is smooth and has a dark green color. The lower part of the leaf is bluish, with a whitish rare pubescence. The flowers are pink with a darker purple base. Collected in inflorescences up to 15 cm long. They delight with their beauty from June to autumn cold weather. The variety has a variety with snow-white flowers - Alba.Indigofer decorative
- Indigofer Kirillov lives in North China and Korea. It is more resistant to frost. Withstands temperatures up to -29 ° C. The upright stems of this deciduous shrub grow by 60-100 cm. The crown has the shape of a hemisphere. Stems and petioles are covered with whitish villi. Unpaired leaves are located on the petiole 8-15 cm long in the amount of 7-13 pieces. The size of each of them is 1-3 cm. On a spike-shaped inflorescence up to 15 cm long, 20-30 pink buds with a darker base are collected. The length of the corolla of each flower is up to 2 cm. The beans ripening in autumn have an elongated curved shape and reach a length of 3-5.5 cm.
Indigofer Kirillov
Breeding methods
Indigofer well propagated by seeds. The only inconvenience is that in the northern regions the ovaries do not have time to form and mature. But the beans collected in the south take root perfectly in colder terrain. Seeds are sown for seedlings in January, previously soaked in a growth stimulator. In pots with sandy peat soil, the beans are placed on the surface, slightly pressing. Sprinkle on top is not necessary. The containers are stored in a lit place at a temperature of + 10 ... + 18 ° C. Sprouts begin to appear on day 8.
The grown plants are transplanted into separate pots at the age of 3-4 weeks. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground in June, maintaining a distance of 1.5-2 m. In the south of the country, a simplified procedure can be dispensed with. Seeds are immediately sown in open ground in mid-April. After 4 pairs of true leaves appear, seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. Immediate flowering is not expected from the seedlings, in the first years they increase the root mass. Bloom for 3-4 years.
In summer, the indigofer breeds well by cuttings. To do this, in June-July, young shoots with 2-3 buds are cut and dug in fertile light soil. To preserve moisture as much as possible, the root stalk is covered with glass or film before rooting.
Care Features
This shrub prefers sunny patches of the garden or slight shading. In this case, the flowering will be especially plentiful. Heat-loving shoots need protection from the cold wind.
The soil is preferably neutral or slightly acidic. It is important to ensure good drainage and timely top dressing. Fertilizers are applied 1-2 times a month. Organic and complex mineral fertilizers are preferred. In dry weather, periodically water the bushes.
With the onset of cold weather, the bush is almost completely cut off, up to sawing stiff shoots. Unstable to frost varieties leave a small stump, 15 cm high. During the winter, roots and ground shoots are covered with foliage and branches. In winter, this place is thrown with snow. In the spring, the indigofer actively starts to grow and manages to increase up to 3 m of crown per season.
Using
Indigofer is used as an independent decoration of the garden; in large areas, it is possible to plant an alley from these plants. Suitable for masking unattractive outbuildings and creating shadows in gazebos.
Some varieties of indigofer are actively used in the beauty industry and industry. Indigo powder, which is a natural blue dye, is made from leaves. It is suitable for dyeing fabrics and furniture. Oriental women have long used the plant for the preparation of basma - a natural dye and care product.
In folk medicine, tincture from indigofer helps to cure abrasions, wounds and other skin problems. It has bactericidal and healing effects. Also used in the complex treatment of leukemia.
