Indigo Plant

Basic Information

Anatomy

A shrub with fern-like leaves, sheaves of pink or purple flowers, and spindly stems. Indigo bushes can support their own weight.

Genetics and Reproduction

Indigo is pollinated by bees, and produces seeds afterwards.

Additional Information

Domestication

First domesticated in India by being grown as crops, then spread to the New World through trade. Generations of crops ensured that their leaves would contain more dye.

Because of their more stable compounds compared to other blue dye plants, indigo plants soon became extremely valuable to dyers dealing with blues.

Farmers who didn't deal with dye crops soon discovered that indigo acted similar to other beans when planted, improving the fertility of the ground it was planted on.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Their leaves are fermented in warm water to release a blue pigment, which can be further processed into indigo dye. While there are other species of indigo, this particular one has the strongest hues released.

Once the leaves have been steeped, the dye is mixed with lye and left to settle. Being insoluble, the resulting indigo is mixed in ammonia when needed for dying.

It is commonly used to dye denim products blue, but can occasionally be superimposed on red cloth to produce a purplish hue.

Indigo bushes are sometimes grown in gardens for their beautiful flowers, in addition to other colorful plants. This horticultural use was once considered a faux pas until indigo was mass-farmed elsewhere in the world.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Predominantly India.

Spread to other tropical regions before contact with Chinese and European sailors.

Spread to New World after global contact, even reaching places like Africa's Gold Coast.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like typical plants, they can't move, but make their leaves grow towards sunlight and roots towards water.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Is prone to infestations by scale beetles.

Ladybugs predate on scale beetles, helping indigo plants fend off any infestations.

Scientific Name

Indigofera tinctoria

Conservation Status

Common as it is industrially farmed.

Average Height

1 - 2 m