Lead Plant-Wild Tea
Very durable drought tolerant legume completely winter hardy in Michigan. Can be mowed or pruned every 3-4 years to stimulate growth and further add nitrogen to the soil. The flowers and leaflets make a mellow flavored tea. Has very clean foliage with upright 6" flower spikes. Broad spreading. This species was originally grown from seeds from a collection with other Amorpha's. We set them out in an area of our farm we thought they would perish. Instead they thrived! Don't let the California name fool you as it is completely winter hardy in Michigan and its morphological characteristics match the California species more than the other types. Compared to other Indigos this one is much taller reaching up to 15 ft. on mature plants. Flowers are produced in great abundance in the middle of summer which attracts a lot of butterflies.
| Plant Specs |
| Genus & Species |
Amorpha californica |
| Seed Source |
Michigan |
| Hardiness |
-20 F |
| Height (ft) |
6-15 |
| Width (ft) |
3-9 |
| Pollination Requirements |
Self fertile |
| Soil |
Apparently doesn't matter from rock to sand. |
| Climate |
Zone 4-9 |
| Ease of Cultivation |
Very easy to grow. Once established the plants can be cut to the ground which reinvigorates them which then produce multiple stems. |
