Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Prefers full sun to partial shade and average, medium moisture, well drained soil. Also can grow in poor, sandy, somewhat dry soils. Can spread by self-seeding. Tolerates all pHs.

Growth Habit/Description:

Perrinial, medium-sized deciduous shrub, 3-6’ in height, 3-6' in width, has slender, dense 4"-8" spiky dense clusters of purple flowers, alternate pinnate ooblong leaves, 10 leaflets in a bunch. 

Bloom Season:

Purple, lavender flowers with yellow anthers bloom from late April to early June.

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

Yes; Since it is deciduous, its leaves turn a light yellow during the fall.

Host Plant for Caterpillars?

Similar to Amorpha fruitcosa, Ouachita Lead Plant is a host plant for the California & southern dogfaces, Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Gray hairstreak, and Hoary edge skipper.

Other Known Ecological Value?

Butterflies, bees, and pollinators are attracted to the plant.  Since Ouachita Lead Plant is a legume, it is a nitrogen fixer. Like other Amorpha plants, it is considered a 'medium' nitrogen fixer.

Origin of Name: 

Amorpha is derived from the Greek word amorphos, meaning shapeless or deformed in reference to the corolla of this pea family genus lacking wings and a keel (parts of the flower). 

Lookalike: 

Ouachita Lead Plant is also referred to as Ouachita False Indigo, due to its similarities to the genus Indigofera. The Indigofera tinctoria looks the most similar, however it has more of a red/pink tone, and appears rarely in other southern states.

Related Species:

Amorpha ouachitensis looks very similar and can be mistaken for its close relatives, Amorpha fruticosa (Bastard Indigo). Both grow in the same areas, however, the leaflets of Bastard Indigo are slightly smaller than Ouachita Lead Plant, as well as the Bastard Indigo leaflets turning black upon drying unlike Ouachita Lead Plant.

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database.  Austin (TX):   University of Texas--Austin.   Amorpha ouachitensis.  [Cited 2023, Sept 8]. Available from:  https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AMOU

USDA Plants. Complied by Bogler, David. Ouachita False Indigo Physical Description. [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://eol.org/pages/418066/articles

Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louic (MO). Amorpha ouachitensis. [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280284

McCue, Kimberlie. Center for Plant Conservation. c 2010. Amorpha ouachitensis. [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20111026044848/http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=108#Distribution

Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory. Norman (OK). Amorpha ouachitensis, Ouachita Indigobush. [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20120809212121/http://www.oknaturalheritage.ou.edu/amorpha2.htm  

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Amorpha fruticosa L. [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=AMFR 

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Raleigh (NC): North Carolina State University. Amorpha fruticosa (Bastard Indigo). [Cited 2023, Sept 8] Available from: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amorpha-fruticosa/

Last Edited by Kira Burnett, September 2023.