As recorded for Creeping Indigo
Indigofera spicata
Creeping Indigo
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- July-November
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP native range does not include India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Africa, Arabian Pen.. Not listed native does not establish introduction or absence from India.
- Recorded habitat
- Scrub and deciduous forests
- Explore nearby plants
- Tamil Nadu →Karnataka →Maharashtra →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Creeping Indigo
Identify Creeping Indigo by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-November.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Fabaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Creeping Indigo.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Indigofera spicata
- Genus
- Indigofera
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Scrub and deciduous forests
- Distribution
- India, Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, Southeast Asia, Japan
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Kerala, Odisha, Telangana, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Creeping Indigo itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Creeping Indigo itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Creeping Indigo
Creeping Indigo (Indigofera spicata) is a herb in the Fabaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and 7 other states. It grows in scrub and deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from July to November.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Creeping Indigo belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Fabaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Creeping Indigo or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides