Bengal Indigo (Indigofera arrecta)

Family: Fabaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Indigofera arrecta, commonly known as Bengal Indigo, Indigo, Natal Indigo, or Java Indigo, is a tropical small shrub of herb growing up to 4 m in height with partly woody stems and slightly hairy leaves. It has pink or brown flowers. It can be found in Africa. The leaves are used in the treatment of epilepsy, nervous disorders, diabetes, peptic ulcers, sores, gum infections, snake bites, gonorrhea, and jaundice.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The root may be edible. — Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable.; The root may be edible.

Habitat & North American Range

Deciduous and evergreen bushland; mixed woodland areas of cultivation and secondary growth; forest margins; (Hyparrhenia) grassland; roadsides; flood plains; pans; termitaria; waste ground; at elevations of 200 - 2,700 metres. (Zone 10)