Eden Keeper
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15
Amorpha, false-indigo
False-indigo, Amorpha fruticosa, is an obscure deciduous
shrub in the pea family. It is nearly
indestructible once established, and most of them I recall seeing in the wild are growing from
a crack in rocks anywhere from bluffs to river banks. There is little mess from the small leaflets
on the pinnately compound leaves and fruit pods. The small flowers, shaped like pea blossoms, are arranged in terminal spikes
that result in an extended bloom period. The
petal color is of such a dark purple that they may appear brown, but this is highlighted by
the bright orange stamens, which are best appreciate under magnification.
