Caragana arborescens Lam.: Siberian peashrub

Abstract

Siberian peashrub - Caragana arborescens Lam. - is one of the most hardy small deciduous trees or shrubs planted on the northern Great Plains (George 1953; Rehder 1940). Introduced into North America in 1752 (Rehder 1940), Siberian peashrub is native to Siberia and Manchuria and occurs from southern Russia to China (Graham 1941). Varieties include the dwarf (C. a. nana Jaeg.) and Lorberg (C. a. pendula Carr.) peashrubs (Kelsey and Dayton 1942). The species readily adapts to sandy, alkaline soil and open, unshaded sites on the northern Great Plains, where it grows to heights of 7 m. It has been planted extensively for shrub buffer strips and windbreaks on farmlands and for hedges and outdoor screening in many towns and cities of the upper mid- West (Dietz and Slabaugh 1974; George 1953). It was also planted for wildlife and erosion control in the Great Lakes region (Graham 1941) and for deer-range revegetation programs in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Dietz and Slabaugh 1974). It is now considered invasive.

Parent Publication

• The Woody Plant Seed Manual

Citation

Dietz, Donald R.; Slabaugh, Paul E.; Bonner, Franklin T. 2008. Caragana arborescens Lam.: Siberian peashrub. In: Bonner, Franklin T.; Karrfalt, Robert P., eds. The Woody Plant Seed Manual. Agric. Handbook No. 727. Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. p. 321-323.