Fishpoison
Tephrosia purpurea
Also known as: narrowleaf hoarypea
- Native to:
- Algeria, Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hainan, India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sinai, Society Is., Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tubuai Is., Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis-Futuna Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Tephrosia
- Species:
- Tephrosia purpurea
- USDA Symbol:
- TEPU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Subshrub
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, pink, white
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from root crown after fire; common in fire-maintained grasslands and savannas.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in poor, degraded soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Hard seed coat requires scarification (mechanical or hot water treatment) for optimal germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI