Trailing indigo bush

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade but grows less densely and flowers less.

Water

Low once established; water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry between waterings.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or rocky soil, including alkaline soil; avoid persistently wet soil and heavy, poorly drained clay.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m), sometimes wider where stems root

Flowers

Small lavender-purple flower clusters, mainly in spring with intermittent flowering through summer and autumn in warm climates.

Foliage

Fine-textured, silvery grey-green compound leaves on long, trailing stems; evergreen in mild climates but may lose foliage in cold weather.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm weather

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.4 ft (0.11 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.9 ft (0.28 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water regularly through the first growing season, letting the surface soil dry between waterings.
• Once established, irrigate only during prolonged dry spells or when growth shows drought stress.
• Plant on a raised mound if drainage is slow; do not place it where winter water collects.
• Use gravel mulch and keep it away from the crown.
• Avoid routine fertilizing, especially high-nitrogen feeds.
• Allow room for spreading stems and keep it out of regularly irrigated lawn edges.

Pruning. In spring, after the risk of hard frost has passed, remove dead or frost-damaged stems back to healthy growth. Shorten straggling shoots lightly to encourage a denser mat and keep paths clear.

Spring

Check for winter damage and prune back to living growth once hard frosts have passed.

Spring

Plant in full sun after the soil warms, choosing a freely draining site.

Early summer

Check new plants regularly and water deeply when the root zone begins to dry.

Summer

Trim stems that encroach on paths; give established plants occasional deep watering during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Reduce irrigation as temperatures fall and remove debris that traps moisture around the crown.

Winter

Keep the soil on the dry side and leave frost-damaged growth in place until spring.

• Mass on sunny, well-drained banks to create a low silver-green carpet.
• Let stems trail over low retaining walls or the edges of raised beds.
• Use beneath widely spaced yuccas and agaves to soften their upright shapes.
• Plant beside gravel paths with desert marigolds and autumn sage for contrasting foliage and flower colour.

Garden styles it suits: Desert / xeriscape, Southwestern, Desert modern, Dry gravel garden, Pollinator garden and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Red yucca, Autumn sage, Desert marigold, Blackfoot daisy, Parry's agave and Damianita.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other small pollinating insects. It is often lightly browsed by deer, but resistance varies with local conditions and food availability.

• Root or crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and replace badly rotted plants.
• Frost-damaged foliage and stems: choose a sheltered, sunny position and prune dead growth after the last hard frost.
• Thin, open growth in shade: move to a sunnier position and lightly shorten sprawling shoots.
• Sparse or woody patches in older mats: lightly prune healthy growth and replace declining sections with rooted cuttings or layers.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but species-specific safety information is limited. No particular toxic part is established; it is not an edible plant, so discourage pets and children from eating it.

• Black dalea (Dalea frutescens)

  Black dalea forms an upright, rounded shrub with greener foliage and its strongest purple flower display in late summer and autumn; trailing indigo bush forms a low, spreading mat with distinctly silvery foliage.

Dalea honours the English botanist Samuel Dale, while greggii honours the plant collector Josiah Gregg.

Propagation. Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings during warm weather, or detach stems that have rooted where they touch the soil. Seed can also be used; hard-coated seed usually benefits from careful scarification before sowing.

Accepted botanical name

Dalea greggii

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, New Mexico and Texas.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.