According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
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Amorpha fruticosa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae) known by several common names, including desert false indigo, false indigo-bush, and bastard indigobush. It is found wild in most of the contiguous United States, southeastern Canada, and northern Mexico, but it is probably naturalized in the northeastern and northwestern portion of its current range. The species is also present as an introduced species in Europe, Asia, and other continents. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant, and some wild populations may be descended from garden escapes.
It is registered amongst the most noxious invasive species in Europe. However, a growing body of scientific literature also points to the therapeutic potential of its chemical constituents. Due to the fact that A. fruticosa is an aggressive invasive species, it can provide an abundant and cheap resource of plant chemical constituents that can be utilized for therapeutic purposes.
This plant is present in at least 51 states/provinces in this country.
A. fruticosa grows as a glandular, thornless shrub which can reach 5 or 6 m (16 or 20 ft) in height and spread to twice that in width. It is somewhat variable in morphology. The leaves are made up of many hairy, oval-shaped, spine-tipped leaflets. The inflorescence is a spike-shaped raceme of many flowers, each with a single purple petal and ten protruding stamens with yellow anthers. The fruit is a legume pod containing one or two seeds.
A. fruticosa is a honey plant and an important food source for bees across its native and introduced range.
Celtis laevigata (aka: Hackberry, Sugarberry, Lowland hackberry, Sugar hackberry, Arizona sugarberry, Netleaf hackberry, Small's hackberry, Southern hackberry, Texas sugarberry)
Acer negundo (aka: Boxelder, Western boxelder, Arizona boxelder, California boxelder, Texas boxelder, Interior boxelder, Violet boxelder)
Acer glabrum (aka: Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey maple)
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)
Prunus americana (aka: American plum, Goose plum, River plum, Wild plum)
Malus coronaria (aka: Sweet crab apple, Garland crab, Alabama crab, Allegheny crab, American crab, Baltimore crab apple, Buncombe crab, Dawson crab, Dunbar crab, Fragrant crab, Garland tree, Lanceleaf crab apple, Missouri crab, Sweet-scented crab, Sweet wild crab, Wild crab, Wild sweet crab, Wild Crab Apple)
Crataegus douglasii (aka: Black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn, River hawthorn, Western thornapple)
Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)
Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)
Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)
Salix discolor (aka: Pussy willow, American pussy willow, Glaucous willow, Large pussy willow)
Celtis occidentalis (aka: Common hackberry, Bastard elm, Nettle-tree, Northern hackberry)
Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)
Salix drummondiana (aka: Drummond's willow, Beautiful willow, Blue willow)
Salix amygdaloides (aka: Peachleaf willow, Peach leaf willow)
Salix boothii (aka: Booth's willow)
Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)
Rhamnus cathartica (aka: Common buckthorn, European buckthorn, Dahurian buckthorn)
Salix lemmonii (aka: Lemmon's willow, Lemmon willow)
Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)
Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)
Populus tremuloides (aka: Quaking aspen, Trembling aspen, Aspen, American aspen, Mountain aspen, Golden aspen, Trembling poplar, White poplar, Popple, Alamo Blanco)
Rubus laciniatus (aka: Cutleaf blackberry, Evergreen blackberry, Slashed blackberry)
Acer grandidentatum (aka: Bigtooth maple, Canyon maple, Western sugar maple)
Salix monticola (aka: Park willow, Cherry willow, Mountain willow, Serviceberry willow, White willow)
Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)
Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)
Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)
Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)
Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)
Gleditsia triacanthos (aka: Honey locust, Honey shucks locust, Common honeylocust, Sweet bean locust)
Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)
Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)
