Caragana pygmaea
| Caragana pygmaea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 4' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Caragana pygmaea
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.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[3].
Layering in spring.
Cultivation: Prefers full sun and a light sandy dry or very well-drained soil[6][5][1]. Does not require a rich soil, succeeding on marginal land[6][5]. Tolerant of dry alkaline soils.
A very ornamental plant[6], it prefers a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, it does not grow so well in mild maritime areas such as the western half of Britain.
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 - China, Himalayas, Siberia
Habitat: Desert land at high altitudes with virtually no rain in the growing season, 3600 - 4800 metres[7][8].
Edibility: Root - cooked[9]. An emergency food, used when all else fails[10].
Usage: The shoots are very flexible, they are used like string for tying[5].
The wood is used for fuel[8].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.