ASK DIARMUID

Q

Can you identify this plant that I saw on holidays in Wales?

Jim

A

That looks like Indigofera heterantha, the Himalayan indigo. It’s native to the slopes of the Himalayas and belongs to the same family that produces indigo dye. It’s a lovely shrub with those fresh green, delicate pinnate leaves and pea-like purple flowers that arrive late in summer, and has gained the RHS Award of Garden Merit.