Creeping Indigo
Common Name
Creeping Indigo
Scientific Name
Indigofera spicata
Family
Fabaceae
Lifecycle
Annual / Perennial
Seasons of Growth
Year Round
Key Distinguishing Feature
Pink/Orange Flowers & Long, thin grouped seed pods
Creeping Indigo is a herbaceous plant with thick stems and crawling taproot systems. Its appearance is often confused with common clover with its simplified leaf structure.
It sprouts small pink or pinkish-orange pea-shaped blooms (flowers) measuring 4-5 mm long are distributed in elongated clusters measuring up to 10 cm long. Another key feature of Creeping Indigo is it's narrow cylindrical seed pods measuring 15–25 mm long.
This species reproduces by seed, which are often dispersed by mowers and in contaminated soil. They may also be spread by water and in mud attached to animals and vehicles.
This weed frequently germinates throughout subtropical climates of south-eastern and coastal Queensland, and can also be seen in northern parts of the Northern Territory.
