Caragana arborescens seed
LATIN NAME: Caragana arborescens
COMMON NAME: Siberian Peashrub, Siberian Pea-tree, Caragana
The Siberian peashrub is a tough, generous shrub of the cold plains, and it has been a friend to settlers and farmers for centuries. It grows as a large, hardy, deciduous shrub or small tree, reaching five or six metres, with feathery, pinnate leaves of many small leaflets, and in late spring it is covered in small, bright yellow, pea-like flowers, followed by clusters of slender green pods. It is extraordinarily hardy, surviving fierce cold, drought and poor soil, and it fixes nitrogen through its roots, enriching the ground where it grows. It has been planted for shelterbelts across the prairies of the world, and its flowers feed the bees of early summer.
The Siberian peashrub belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is native to Siberia and parts of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. It was carried to North America by immigrants, who used it as a food source on the journey west, and it was planted across the Canadian prairies as a hardy shelterbelt shrub.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Siberian peashrub from seed is easy and gives dependable results. The seeds sit inside the slender green pods, and they have a hard coat, so soak them in hot water overnight, or nick them gently, before sowing. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, bright and lightly moist. Germination usually begins within two to four weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in full sun, in almost any soil, since they are extremely hardy and drought-tolerant. The young shrubs grow well, and within a few years they will cover themselves in yellow pea-flowers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Siberian peashrub has a genuine and practical record in agricultural and ecological research. Because it is so hardy and fixes nitrogen through its roots, it has been studied extensively for shelterbelt planting, erosion control and land restoration on the cold, dry prairies of North America and Eurasia, and researchers have examined its growth, its hardiness and its value in protecting crops and soil from the wind. The young pods and seeds were used as food by settlers, and the shrub has been studied in research on useful and edible plants of the cold plains. In some regions, it has become invasive, and its spread has also been studied, making it a subject in invasion ecology. For a shrub of such toughness and such service to the plains, the Siberian peashrub has a steady and important record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Siberian peashrub is a generous shrub of the cold plains. Its yellow flowers feed bees and other pollinators in early summer, its seeds feed birds and small mammals, and its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil where it grows.
Its economic value is real, especially on the prairies. It is planted in shelterbelts to protect crops, livestock and soil from the wind, it is used for erosion control and land restoration, and its young pods and seeds have been used as food, while the shrub is also grown as a hardy ornamental. For a grower on the cold plains, the Siberian peashrub is an invaluable plant, and for a gardener it brings tough beauty and a shrub that feeds both bees and the soil.