Indigofera

A member of the legume or pea family, this elegant Himalayan shrub varies in size according to its situation, from 90cm (3ft) in an open exposed position, to more than 1.8m (6ft) fan-trained against a warm wall. It is quite hardy, although severe frost can kill some topgrowth, but plants revive late in spring (this is normally one of the last shrubs to produce its foliage). The large spikes or racemes of bright blooms grow at the base of the leaves, and appear continuously throughout the growing season. Cannot tolerate water-logged soils. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).