Plant · GBIF taxon 2972082
hairy indigo
Indigofera hirsutaAlso known as Rough Hairy Indigo, Rough Indigo
Hairy indigo is a coarse, sprawling legume named for the dense, rusty-brown hairs covering its reddish stems and seed pods. Its spikes of salmon-pink to brick-red flowers attract a wide array of native bees and butterflies, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich tropical and subtropical soils. Although widely cultivated as a soil-improving cover crop, it readily escapes into roadsides, pastures, and disturbed clearings.
Nitrogen FixerCover CropFlowering
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Root-knot Nematodes
- Livestock
- Caterpillars
ThreatsHerbicide application, intensive land development
HabitatsDisturbed areas, roadsides, pastures, agricultural fields, tropical grasslands
Life span1–2 years (Annual to short-lived perennial)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderFabales
- FamilyFabaceae
- GenusIndigofera
- SpeciesIndigofera hirsuta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Examine the pods: Look closely at the dense, stiff rusty-brown hairs covering the cylindrical seed pods.
- Check for pollinators: Watch the pinkish flower spikes during warm hours to observe native bees foraging.
Co-Occurring Legume (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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