Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Amorpha

Species:

Amorpha fruticosa

USDA Symbol:

AMFR

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

400 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

purple, blue

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire or cutting. Common in fire-maintained prairies and savannas where it forms dense thickets post-disturbance.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, fertile, well-drained loam

pH:

6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

Commonly found in riparian zones and floodplains

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Seeds have hard coats requiring scarification by mechanical abrasion or hot water treatment. Cold stratification improves germination rates significantly.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI