Billowing like summer clouds, this graceful perennial creates a dramatic display with its upright spikes of indigo-blue, pea-like flowers rising above soft, pinnate foliage. Galega orientalis, reaching an impressive height of 1.2m (4ft), produces these enchanting blooms from late spring through early summer, creating a miniature lupin-like effect in mauve-indigo.
This vigorous spreader thrives in almost any garden soil, particularly excelling in poor conditions where it maintains a stronger, more upright habit rather than becoming floppy as it might in rich soil. Its bright green, feather-like leaves provide a perfect backdrop for the 15cm (6in) flower spikes, while its robust, spreading nature makes it an excellent quick border-filler.
Perfect for sunny positions though tolerating light shade, this pollinator-friendly perennial creates a willowy, naturalistic presence in the garden, though may need staking in fertile soils to maintain its architectural form.