Indigofera is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species of Indigofera are mostly shrubs, though some are small trees or annual or perennial herbs. Most have pinnate leaves. Racemes of flowers grow in the leaf axils. Most species have flowers in shades of red, but there are a few white- and yellow-flowered species. The fruit is a legume pod of varying size and shape.

Indigofera arrecta, synonymously known as Indigofera scopa or Indigofera umbonata and commonly known as Natal Indigo or African Indigo in English, Umphekambedu in isiZulu and Verfbossie in Afrikaans, is a South African indigenous shrubby perennial up to 2.5 m found in the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. It grows to 2 meters tall. The leaves are sometimes folded. From summer to autumn, it produces dull red to pink flowers. The roots are used to make blue dye.