Indigofera is one of those “once you notice it, you see it everywhere” genera – an immense, cosmopolitan group of legumes, placed in the Fabaceae family, found across the warmer parts of the world, from dry slopes and rocky ridges to grasslands, coastal systems, and woodland edges. Depending on the species, Indigofera can be a tiny, ground-hugging mat, a wiry perennial with delicate leaflets, or a tougher shrublet built for sun, wind, and poor soils.

For gardeners and collectors, the appeal is irresistible: finely pinnate foliage with an elegant, fern-like texture, and pea-flowers that arrive like little jewels – often in pinks, reds, rosy–magenta, purples, lilacs, or soft bicolours – either sprinkled along the stems or packed into lively racemes. The name itself hints at its heritage: “Indigofera” literally means “bearing indigo,” a nod to the famous dye history within the group.

Many Indigofera species are also classic “tough-love” plants – adaptable, sun-friendly, and well-suited to naturalistic planting, rock gardens, restoration-style beds, and biodiversity-focused spaces. And because they’re legumes, they’re often associated with beneficial root symbioses that help plants cope in lean soils – great news for low-input gardens and wild-style landscapes.

Indigofera auricoma

If you love the look of a living pink carpet after good rains, Indigofera auricoma is pure magic. It naturally presents as a prostrate to decumbent herb, forming low colonies that can flower profusely – exactly the kind of Indigofera that belongs in open plains-style plantings and sunny, free-draining positions.

Indigenous to South Africa’s Northern Cape province, it grows on calcareous, sandy soil and is found on the grassy plains of the reserve, where it grows in abundance. It is also common in similar habitat of the Kalahari, and in the northern Cape. It pairs fine, linear leaflets (often softly hairy on young growth) with vivid pink-to-purple pea-flowers that show exceptionally well in natural light. When grown in a group, the floral display becomes the feature: abundant blooms held across a low, spreading framework that looks completely at home in wild habitat-style scenes. The flowers are pink to purple. If the first summer rainfall is sufficient it is quick to flower and may grow in such abundance that it clothes the plains in a deep pink carpet.

For collectors and growers, it’s a spectacular species to sow in drifts – perfect for a naturalistic “plains” look with stones, sandy soils, and low grasses. Buy Now – Seeds and All offers combined South African and International shipping. Check out our online seed store for a massive range.