Caragana arborescens

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Caragana arborescens
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Hardiness:2
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:20'
Width:13'
Speed:Fast
Blooms:Late Spring
Native to:
Nitrogen Fixer Shelter
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Caragana arborescens (common name: siberian pea tree)

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. It usually germinates in 2 weeks[K]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water then sown in a cold frame[2][3][1]. If the seed has not swollen then scarify it and re-soak for another 12 hours before sowing[4]. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c[4]. Good percentage[5]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. There are approximately 40,000 seeds per kilo[6].

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[3].

Layering in spring.

Cultivation: Succeeds in most well-drained soils, preferring full sun and a light sandy dry or well-drained soil[7][5][1]. Tolerates very alkaline soils[8]. Plants do not require a rich soil[7][5][9], succeeding on marginal land[10]. Established plants are drought resistant[10]. Fast growing[11].

Dormant plants are hardy to about -30°c[12], they prefer a continental climate and do not grow so well in areas that do not have very cold winters[1]. They grow and fruit very well in the eastern half of the country, even in northern areas, though they do not do so well in the wetter west[K]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K].

The Siberian pea shrub has an excellent potential to become a staple food crop. The seed is nutritious and wholesome, although rather small it is often very freely borne and is easily harvested[K]. This species has also been recommended as a nitrogen-fixing windbreak and ground cover plant that binds the soil and produces fibre and dye stuffs[13].

C. boisii and C. fruticosa are closely related to this species[14] and can probably be used similarly[K].

A very ornamental plant, some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[14]. 'Nana' is a very compact dwarf form[15] that grows slowly[5]. 'Pendula' has stiffly pendent branches but is otherwise the same as the type species[5].

A good bee plant[16].

Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[1].

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].

Range: E. Asia - Siberia to Mongolia. Occasionally naturalized in Europe in France[17].

Habitat: River banks, pebbles, sands, open forests and forest edges, gully slopes and stony slopes[16].

Edibility: Seed - cooked[18][19]. Small but produced in abundance[5], there are 4 - 6 seeds per pod[8]. A bland flavour, it is best used in spicy dishes[15]. The raw seed has a mild pea-like flavour, though we are not sure if it should be eaten in quantity when raw[K]. The seed contains 12.4% of a fatty oil and up to 36% protein[15][6], it has been recommended as an emergency food for humans[20]. More than just an emergency food, this species has the potential to become a staple crop in areas with continental climates[K].

Young pods - cooked and used as a vegetable[21][22][19][23][15][6].

Medicinal: The whole plant, known as ning tiao, is used in the treatment of cancer of the breast, and the orifice to the womb, and for dysmenorrhoea and other gynaecological problems[6].

Usage: A fibre obtained from the bark is used for making cordage[21][22][16][6].

A blue dye is obtained from the leaves[16][6].

The seed contains 12.4% of a fatty oil[16].

The plant can be grown as a hedge[10]. It is quite wind-resistant and can also be planted in a shelterbelt[1].

The plant has an extensive root system and can be used for erosion control, especially on marginal land[10]. Because of its nitrogen-fixing capacity, it is valued as a soil-improving plant[6].

Pollinators: Bees

Notes: If the seed is produced early in the season, the pods usually dry and expel the seed. However, especially in cooler years, the seed does not ripen until the moister days of autumn and then the pods do not dry out or expel the seed (I have collected seed f

Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Wind: Tolerates strong winds

Seed Ripens: Early Fall

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: Reports that this plant contains toxins have not been substantiated[20]. The occurrence of cystine in the seeds is doubtful[20].

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
  9. ↑ International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association, 1981.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Natural Food Institute. Wonder Crops 1987.
  11. ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
  12. ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
  13. ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
  17. ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
  18. ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  23. ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.


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