Chinese Indigo, Tingteng, Courtyard vine
Indigofera decora

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A bushy deciduous shrub. It forms suckers. It grows 60 cm high. It spreads 1 m wide. The leaves are glossy and dark green. They are divided along the stalk. The leaves are 25 cm long and there are 7-13 oval leaflets. The flowers are mauve-pink and in long sprays. The flowers are pea shaped.

There are about 500-700 Indigofera species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is moderately frost hardy. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. Arboretum Tasmania. Melbourne Botanical garden.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, Japan, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The seed are boiled and eaten. They are also made into flour.

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings or basal suckers. In frost plants may die back to ground level but regrow from the rootstock.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Indigo incarnata;