| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Widely scattered across most of the state, but more widespread in the southern half. Essentially absent from the northern Mountains, northwestern Piedmont, and a few areas in the Coastal Plain, such as the Sandhills proper.
Ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Canada to Mexico. Apparently it is most numerous in the Midwestern/Great Plains states.
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| Abundance | Generally uncommon to infrequent in the southern half of the state, and rare in the northern half. Seldom common anywhere, though it has been recorded from most counties in the southern half of the Piedmont and Mountains, and in the southeastern corner of the Coastal Plain. | |
| Habitat | This species favors river banks, levees, and edges of ponds and marshes. However, it can be found in open woods, thickets, and other non-wetlands. Because of these divergent habitats, it is usually encountered by accident and not with a purposeful search. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from April into June, and fruits from June to October. | |
| Identification | This is, by far, the tallest species of indigo-bush (Amorpha) in the state, typically averaging 5-10 feet tall. It has deciduous leaves, which consist of 9-23 leaflets, each about 1 inch long and generally not shiny above. The stems are usually quite pubescent. It is best identified by its large stature –- usually over knee height, the relatively large leaflets, and its bushy look, with widely spreading branches. The flowers are rich violet to purple, which can also be useful in identification. Also, it is usually the only indigo-bush growing on alluvial soils of river banks, marshes, and pond margins. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None, though owing to its very wide range, it has been divided into a number of varieties by some references.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Desert False Indigo, Bastard Indigo-bush | |
| State Rank | S3S4 [S4] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACW link |
| USACE-emp | FACW link |
