Indigofera species - Plant

Planting and care

Prepare a garden bed by mixing sandy, loamy soil mix into the topsoil of the garden. Indigo plants thrives in slightly alkaline soil but can also tolerate neutral or slightly acidic soils. Soil must be well-drained.

Caring for Indigofera species

• Plant indigo plants 4 to 5 feet apart in the early evening and water the soil until thoroughly moist.
• Water once each day for the first two weeks until the plants become established.
• Do not fertilize indigo plants. As a legume, indigo plants can absorb nitrogen from the air and grow well in nutrient-deficient soil.

Typical uses of Indigofera species

Special features: Mixed borders or foundation plantings. Also effective as part of a naturalized planting.

Culinary use: NA

Ornamental use: The plant is used for an ornamental purpose

Medicinal use: Unverified information- In Brazil, West Indian Indigo is one of the reputed remedies for snake bites, and in the United States it is often applied to the stings of bees and other insects. In Mexico, the leaves as a cataplasm or in decoction are applied to the forehead of children with fever and to any painful area. The seeds in powder form are a cure for ulcers.

References

• http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-indigofera-tinctoria-74599.html
• http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d530
• http://www.flowersofindia.net/risearch/search.php?query=Indigofera+species&stpos=0&stype=AND