leadplant
Amorpha canescens
Early settlers believed the leadplant's presence indicated lead deposits in the ground, though its silvery-gray leaves actually just mimic the color of lead.
- Scientific name
- Amorpha canescens
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fabales › Fabaceae › Amorpha
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry to mesic native prairies, savannas, and open glades.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, nitrogen-fixing)
- Range
- North American Great Plains, Midwestern United States, Central Canada
- Size
- 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) tall
- Lifespan
- 20 to 30+ years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to agriculture, urban development, fire suppression, and invasive species encroachment.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely approach and touch this plant. Admire its silver-hairy leaves and vibrant purple flowers. Do not dig up wild specimens, as their deep taproots make transplanting unsuccessful and damage native prairies.
Amorpha Canescens ( Amorpha brachycarpa , Leadplant , Leadplant amorpha , Downy indigo bush, Prairie shoestring, Buffalo bellows ) is a 30–90 cm (1–3 ft) tall perennial semi-shrub in the Pea family (Fabaceae) that is native to North America. It has very small purple flowers with yellow stamens which are grouped in racemes. Depending on location, the flowers bloom from late June through mid-September. The compound leaves of this plant appear leaden (the reason for the common name "leadplant") due to their dense...
Photo: Rob Foster, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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