Indigofera kirilowii 'Bernheim'

Bernheim Giant Chinese Indigo

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Item #: 11083

Zones: 4b to 8b

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 60" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: China, Japan, Korea

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


We've grown Indigofera kirilowii for nearly 30 years, and assumed it all looked about the same as the 18" tall form we grew...oh, were we wrong. In 2014, when visiting the Cincinnati Zoo, Director of Horticulture, Steve Foltz, showed me their clone, which came from the late plantsman, Buddy Hubbuch, at Kentucky's Bernheim Arboretum. There it grew, 5' tall...heart be still! Since Indigofera kirilowii has a huge range from Outer Mongolia south into Japan and Korea, it is obvious the plant didn't know to conform to reference books. We are thrilled to share plants of this exciting new form that we've christened Indigofera kirilowii 'Bernheim'. The slowly colonizing woody stalks are clothed during the growing season with light green robinia-like foliage and adorned in April and May (NC), with an abundance of pendant, pink, pea-like flower clusters. As the stalks disrobe for fall, the old foliage turns a lovely gold.