Indigofera suffruticosa
A shrub from the Americas used to make indigo dye and Maya blue pigment
No single value: Indigofera suffruticosa is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, blue.
Indigofera suffruticosa is a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, often called anil or Guatemalan indigo. Its leaves are used to produce indigo dye, and when mixed with certain clays, can make Maya blue, a pigment known from Mesoamerican art.
- Source of natural indigo dye
- Used to make Maya blue pigment
- Native to the tropical Americas
- Known as anil in many regions
What colour is Indigofera suffruticosa?
Indigofera suffruticosa is a shrub from the pea family that grows up to one metre tall. It has pinnate leaves and is often found in dry, disturbed places like roadsides and fallow fields. The plant is best known as a natural source of indigo dye, giving a deep blue colour, and is also used to make Maya blue pigment when combined with certain clays.
Where does Indigofera suffruticosa come from?
The plant is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, including the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and as far south as northern Argentina. It has been widely introduced to other warm regions around the world. The name 'anil' is commonly used in the Americas and comes from its use as a dye plant.
How is Indigofera suffruticosa made?
Indigo dye is obtained from the leaves of Indigofera suffruticosa. The leaves are processed to extract the blue dye, which can be used on textiles. When the dye is mixed with palygorskite clay, it forms Maya blue, a pigment that was important in Mesoamerican art and culture.
Where Indigofera suffruticosa is used
The main use of Indigofera suffruticosa is as a source of indigo dye for colouring fabrics. In Mesoamerica, its dye was also mixed with clay to create Maya blue, a pigment used in painting and decoration by ancient civilizations. The plant is found in many tropical regions and is often grown or gathered for its dye.
Blue around the world
What the blue family means from country to country.
The flag is sky blue, white and sky blue, created by Manuel Belgrano in 1812. National teams are called the Albiceleste, the white and sky blue.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of ArgentinaBoca Juniors play in blue and gold. The club's story is that in 1907 it took the colours of the flag of the next ship into port, which was Swedish.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Boca JuniorsThe flag has two sky-blue bands with white between. The blue stands for the Pacific and the Caribbean on either side of the land, and for the sky.
Politics and protestSource: Flag of GuatemalaKrishna, Rama and Vishnu are painted with blue skin, the colour of the sky and the deep sea. The wheel at the centre of the national flag, the Ashoka Chakra, is navy blue.
Sacred and holyAweSource: KrishnaBlue is the colour of Dalit politics. Followers of B. R. Ambedkar carry blue flags, and the Bahujan Samaj Party campaigns under a blue flag with an elephant.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Bahujan Samaj PartyMaya blue is a bright, lasting pigment made by heating indigo with a special clay. Maya painters used it on murals, pottery and offerings to the rain god.
Sacred and holySource: Maya blueShades and relatives of Indigofera suffruticosa
Indigofera suffruticosa is sometimes called by other names, such as Guatemalan indigo or West Indian indigo, depending on the region. It is one of several plants used to produce indigo dye, and can be confused with other indigo-producing species.
Questions people ask about Indigofera suffruticosa
What colour does Indigofera suffruticosa produce?
It produces indigo dye, which gives a deep blue colour. When mixed with certain clays, it can also make Maya blue pigment.
Where does the name 'anil' come from?
The name 'anil' is commonly used in the Americas for this plant and refers to its use as a source of blue dye.
Where is Indigofera suffruticosa native to?
It is native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, including the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern Argentina.
How is Maya blue made from this plant?
Maya blue is made by mixing the indigo dye from Indigofera suffruticosa with palygorskite clay, producing a pigment used in Mesoamerican art.
Good reading and sources
- Indigofera suffruticosa on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Indigofera suffruticosa", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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