Indigofera decora

"Summer wisteria" redirects here. For other uses, see Wisteria.

Indigofera decora, commonly known as summer wisteria, is a species of shrub native to China and Japan that has since been introduced to Australia and Sri Lanka.^[1] A member of the genus Indigofera, its family is Fabaceae^[2] and is used primarily for decorative purposes,^[3] though it has also been used to make indigo-colored dye.^[4]

Indigofera decora
Summer wisteria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Indigofera
Species:	I. decora
Binomial name
Indigofera decora Lindl.
Distribution in Australia
Synonyms
Indigofera incarnata (Willd.) Nakai

I. decora is a deciduous, spreading shrub. It often grows 1–2.5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. It features compound, pinnate leaves up to 8 inches long with 7-13 elliptic, dark green leaflets. In the summer, it produces axillary racemes of light pink or purple pea-like flowers.^[3] Each raceme may boast twenty to forty flowers, and the calyxes have broadly triangular lobes.^[5]

I. decora is best suited to well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soils. It is somewhat heat and drought tolerant, but benefits from afternoon shade in hot, humid environments. It is cold hardy in the US in zones 7–11.^[4]

Varieties

There are three recognised varieties of Indigofera decora:^[2]

• Indigofera decora var. chalara (Craib) Y.Y.Fang & C.Z.Zheng
• Indigofera decora var. cooperi (Craib) Y.Y.Fang & C.Z.Zheng
• Indigofera decora var. ichangensis (Craib) Y.Y.Fang & C.Z.Zheng