Amorpha californica

California False Indigo Bush is a aromatic shrub to about six feet. This shrub in the pea family is native to central and southern California, where it prefers lightly filtered sun to nearly full shade. It commonly grows in the areas between Quercus agrifolia and Salix sp., sometimes mixed with Rhamnus californica or Toxicodendron diversilobum. In most of the state needs no water after established. This plant is the larval food plant for our California State butterfly, the California Dogface. This plant has small purple flowers on a 3" spike, is somewhat difficult in cultivation. Foliage has a VERY interesting smell, guava, pineapple, lavender and maybe a little pine.