Native-range-north-america
Guides
Amorpha
false indigo, false indigos, leadplant, desert false indigo, indigo bush
Amorpha is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) native to North America, ranging from southern Canada through most of the United States to northern Mexico. The genus is distinguished by its unique floral morphology: unlike typical pea-family flowers with the standard wing and keel petal structure, Amorpha flowers possess only a single petal, giving the genus its Greek name meaning "deformed" or "without form." The approximately 15 species include shrubs and subshrubs occupying diverse habitats from prairies to riparian corridors, with some species serving as important larval host plants for specialized insects and others showing invasive tendencies outside their native ranges.