Indigofera heterantha Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Indigofera heterantha — 19cm / 3L19cm / 3L
Indigofera heterantha
Indigofera heterantha
Himalayan Indigo

Indigofera heterantha

£19.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingRHS award winnerLoved by pollinators
Pot size
19cm / 3L £19.99

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Description

Indigofera heterantha, the Himalayan indigo, is a graceful late-season shrub that flowers for months when most shrubs have finished. From late June into September, arching stems carry upright spikes of small rosy-purple pea flowers above soft, ferny leaves made up of many tiny grey-green leaflets.

Hardiness and seasons. The RHS rates it H5 and gives it the Award of Garden Merit, so it is hardy to around -15C. In mild gardens it builds a woody framework; in colder ones frost may cut it to the ground, and it regrows from the base each year to flower the same summer. It is deciduous and very late into leaf, often bare until late May, so do not give up on it in spring.

Where it fits. Give it the hottest, sunniest spot you have and well-drained soil of almost any type, chalk included. It works at the back of an exotic border, trained against a warm wall, or as a light, airy screen, and bees work the flowers all summer.

What you receive: a young shrub in a 19cm (3L) pot. From autumn to late spring it may be leafless, which is normal.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Himalayan Indigo

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Himalayan Indigo

Indigofera heterantha needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

Rated H5 by the RHS, it is hardy to around -15C. In a hard winter the top growth may die back, but the plant almost always regrows from the base and still flowers the same year, because it blooms on new wood. It is one of the last shrubs to leaf up, often not until late May, so wait before assuming winter damage. Our seasonal guide covers what to expect.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingExposedSheltered

Plant in full sun. The more heat it gets, the more freely it flowers, and a south or west-facing wall is the classic spot in colder parts of the country, where it can be fan-trained and grow taller. In the open it makes a loose, arching shrub for the middle or back of a sunny exotic border.

It pairs well with late-season perennials and with other members of the pea family such as Cercis 'Merlot'.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Any reasonably fertile, well-drained soil suits it: chalk, clay, loam or sand, acid or alkaline. It dislikes sitting wet in winter, so on heavy clay improve the drainage or plant on a slight mound. Once settled it copes with dry summers, which makes it a good fit for drought-tolerant planting and gravel gardens.

Watering

Water regularly through the first summer until established, then only in prolonged drought. A light spring mulch helps on thin, dry soils. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first summer until established, then only in prolonged drought. A light spring mulch helps on thin, dry soils.

Mature size

Height1.5-2.5 m
Spread1.5-2.5 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Jun-Sep · Pink, Purple

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Prune in spring once new buds are visible. In colder gardens cut all stems back hard to a low framework or near the ground, as it flowers on new growth. In milder gardens simply remove dead and weak stems and shorten the rest to keep it bushy.

Toxicity

No toxicity is recorded for Indigofera heterantha by the RHS. As with any garden plant, do not eat it.

Native range

North-west Himalaya (Afghanistan to Tibet and northern Myanmar)

Family

Fabaceae

Also known as

Indigofera heterantha

Genus

Indigofera
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I prune my Indigofera in the UK?

Prune in spring, once you can see new buds breaking, usually April. It flowers on the current year's growth, so in colder gardens you can cut every stem back hard to a low framework or close to the ground. In milder areas, just remove dead or weak stems and shorten the rest.

Where should I plant an indigo bush?

In full sun, in well-drained soil, as warm as you can manage. A south or west-facing wall is ideal in colder areas, and in milder gardens it suits the middle or back of a sunny border.

Can I grow indigo in the UK?

Yes. Himalayan indigo is hardy to around -15C and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It is an ornamental shrub, not the tender dye plant Indigofera tinctoria, which needs a greenhouse here. For more plants that bring an exotic look to a UK garden, see our hardy exotics.

How do you care for Indigofera?

Plant it in sun and free-draining soil, water through its first summer, then leave it largely alone. Prune in spring and be patient: it is one of the last shrubs to come into leaf, often not until late May.

Does indigo come back every year?

Yes. It is a deciduous shrub that loses its leaves in winter. If a hard frost kills the top growth, it regrows from the base in late spring and still flowers from midsummer.

Is Indigofera heterantha invasive?

It is not listed as invasive in the UK. It forms a single multi-stemmed shrub and does not spread by runners. Its long flowering season makes it a good choice for bee-friendly planting.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Indigofera heterantha
£19.99