Indigofera caroliniana Mill.

Carolina Indigo; Wild Indigo

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Indigo is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It can be found in the southern half of Alabama. Carolina Indigo occurs in sand hills, in sandy scrub oak forests, in dry longleaf pine woods, and on roadsides. It is an erect, bushy perennial that grows to 4 feet in height. Plants often form clumps of up to 15 stems from a single hardened root crown. The stems are pubescent, green when young and tan-brown when older. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, odd-pinnate with 9-15 leaflets. The leaflets are obovate to oblanceolate in outline, entire, and pubescent on both surfaces. The lower surface of the leaf is lighter in color than the upper. Foliage and stems produce an unpleasant odor when crushed. Flowers are produced in axillary racemes. The racemes are longer than the subtending leaves with loosely spaced flowers. Individual flowers are small, papilionaceous, pinkish or reddish in color, often with yellowish-green markings. The fruit is a 1-3 seeded indehiscent legume.—A. Diamond

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Native

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