Indigofera kirilowii: Chinese Indigo – Ferny Foliage and Pink Pea Flowers

Indigofera kirilowii – Chinese Indigo

Indigofera kirilowii, Chinese Indigo, is a graceful, deciduous subshrub or perennial native to China and Korea. It has delicate, pinnately compound leaves with many small leaflets, giving a fern-like texture. In summer, it produces axillary racemes of small, pink, pea-like flowers. It spreads by suckers to form a loose colony.

Chinese Indigo thrives in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil. It is drought-tolerant once established. It dies back to the ground in winter in cold climates (herbaceous perennial). It fixes nitrogen. The delicate foliage and airy flowers add a light, feathery texture to the border. A refined, underused shrub for sunny, well-drained sites.

Plant Profile