General: Pea Family (Fabaceae). Siberian peashrub is an introduced, deciduous shrub or small tree ranging between ten to fifteen feet tall. The leaves are alternate, three to five inches long, with each leaf composed of eight to twelve oval leaflets. The flowers are yellow and appear early in the season forming pods in late June or early July. As the pods ripen, they crack and burst, spreading the seeds. The young bark is smooth and olive green and becomes less vivid in color as the bark ages.

Distribution: Siberian peashrub is native to Siberia and Manchuria. In the United States, its growth is

stunted south of Nebraska. For current distribution, please consult the Plant profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Ross caragana, Siberian pea tree, pea-tree

Caragana arborescens Lam.:
Canada (North America)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Mongolia (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
United States (North America)
China (Asia)

Caragana fruticosa var. multiflora H. Xie & Y.T. Zhao:
China (Asia)

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Siberian peashrub succeeds in most well drained soils. It prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade. This species is very tolerant of infertile soils, cold winter temperatures, and drought conditions. It tolerates alkaline soils and deicing salt. This plant’s chief value is its ability to adapt to poor sites. It also requires little maintenance.

Perennial, Trees, Shrubs, Woody throughout, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems 1-2 m tall, Stems greater than 2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules inconspicuous, absent, or caducous, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, S tipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules spinose or bristles, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals orange or yellow, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Banner petal auriculate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, Fruit exserted from calyx, Valves twisting or coiling after dehiscence, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Propagation by Seed: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seeds should be pre-soaked twenty-four hours in warm water and then sown in a cold frame. If the seeds do not swell, then stratify them and re-soak for another twelve hours before sowing. Germination should occur in two to three weeks at 20ºC. Certain pesticides can increase germination possibly by inhibiting disease.

Propagation by cuttings: Layering should be done in the spring. Cuttings should consist of half ripe wood, three to four inches with a heel, and should be done between July and August. Grafting the cultivars, especially ‘Pendula’, ‘Lorbergii’, and ‘Walker’, are top worked at four to six inches height on Caragana arborscens seedlings (Dirr & Heuser 1987). Root cuttings, layering or grafting can also propagate Caragana arborscens.

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
anamorph of Microsphaera palczewskii parasitises live leaf of Caragana arborescens

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Species: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Introduced into the U.S. Please consult the Plants Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

‘Sutherland’, Lorbergii’, ‘Pendula’, ‘Walker’, and ‘Nana’ are cultivars of Siberian peashrub. ‘Sutherland’ has a narrow, upright form. ‘Lorbergii’ has a graceful form with fine textured leaves. ‘Pendula’ has a stiffly weeping form with arching branches. ‘Walker’ is much like ‘Lorbergii’ in leaf character but strongly weeping (Dirr 1990). ‘Nana’ has a dwarf form with somewhat contorted branches.

Consult your local nurseries to choose the right cultivar for your specific landscape. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

General: Siberian peashrub is susceptible to leaf spot diseases, red spider mites, blister beetles, grasshoppers, and aphids, which leads to poor foliage quality in mid to late summer.

Medicinal: The plant is used for cancer of the breast, the orifice to the womb, and other gynecological problems (Kiangsu 1977).

Wildlife: During World War II, the Siberian peasants reportedly carried their chicken flocks through the winter by feeding them Caragana arborscens seeds (Snell 1983). The seeds serve as valuable food for wild life. It also provides cover for upland game.

Agroforestry: Caragana arborscens has been recommended as a nitrogen-fixing windbreaker and groundcover plant that binds the soil and produce fiber and dye. It is often used as a single row field shelterbelt for borders, screen plantings, or flowering hedges.

Other uses: Some ethnic groups have used young pods for vegetables. The bark provides a fiber and the leaves yield an azure dye. The wood is used for woodturning.