Common Name: Pea Trees and Pea Shrubs
Family: Fabaceae (the Legume or Pea or Bean family)
Common Species (there are about 80 species):
- Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens) – large to very large shrub
- Caragana boisii (Caragana boisii) – large to very large shrub
- Caragana brevispina (Caragana brevispina) – medium-sized shrub
- Caragana decorticans (Caragana decorticans) – large to very large shrub
- Russian Pea Shrub (Caragana frutex) – medium-sized shrub
- Pygmy Pea Shrub (Caragana pygmeae) – small shrub
Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens)
Description:
Known as Pea Shrubs or Trees (if they get large enough), the Caragana species are in the Legume Family, and they really do produce edible pods and peas. The Pea Shrubs are on my list of Permaculture super-plants! They are edible, fix-nitrogen, attract beneficial insects, can be used as a pioneer plant, a windbreak, and a hedge, are used to stabilize erosion-prone soil, can feed livestock, and are pretty with fragrant flowers. What more could you ask for in one plant?
Caragana species
History:
Native and widespread through Asia and eastern Europe, this plant has been used by native peoples for its edible pods and seeds, fiber from the bark, and dye from its leaves. It has been spread around the world first for its pods and seeds by settlers and in more modern times for its ornamental properties. It is also very recently begun to be used as a windbreak, erosion control, and degraded land reclamation plant.
Trivia:
- Pea Shrubs are considered invasive species in many locations in the United States… this just tells me there is a void which this plant is filling.
- Pea Shrubs can withstand -40 F (-40 C) temperatures – perfect for very cold locations!
There are many uses for the Pea Shrubs – seen here is Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens) being used as a windbreak/hedge.
USING THIS PLANT
- Ornamental Plant – this has been one of its primary uses around the world due to its small fragrant flowers and attractive leaves
- Edible Pods – Young pods are eaten raw or cooked in Summer.
- Edible Seeds – Historically, Pea Shrubs were used for food much more than they are now. The pods form 3-4 “peas” each, and these peas can be eaten raw or cooked when young. The seeds may also be dried and then used like dried peas – soaked overnight and then cooked before eating. Some people still enjoy eating from this plant, but others find the taste bland and the small, low-seeding pods bothersome to open and not worth the trouble. The tree does produce a lot of pods though, so it may have potential as a future food source. I have yet to try pods or peas from this plant… I’ll let you know when I do
- Edible Flowers – reportedly can be used as a salad garnish
Secondary Uses:
- Nitrogen Fixer – this plant creates its own nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms (bacteria) in its roots. It typically produces an excess of nitrogen that can be used by neighboring plants. This is a leguminous plant; Clover, Cowpea, Lupine, Soybean inoculation groups.
- General insect (especially bees) nectar plant
- Pioneer Plant – helps reestablish overused or damaged land
- Windbreak Plant – fast growing, but not very tall
- Hedge Plant – the thorns on this plant will likely make it a worthwhile food-producing, living fence for livestock
- Wildlife Food – many animals will eat the seeds and hummingbirds enjoy the nectar
- Wildlife Shelter – mainly birds
- Lacewings prefer to lay eggs on Caranga species
- Parasitic Wasps prefer to rest and hide on Caranga species
- Erosion Control Species – the extensive root system helps stabilize soils prone to erosion
- Fodder Crop – chickens particularly enjoy this plant’s pods and seed, but there is also research supporting its use as fodder for sheep, goats, cattle, deer, reindeer, and camels!
- Fiber Plant – a fiber from the bark can be used to make cordage
- Dye Plant – a blue dye can be made from the leaves
Yield: No reliable information can be found, but these plant yield high quantities of pods each year.
Harvesting: Summer – pods can be harvested when very small (just over an inch). Autumn – if the pods are older but still green, they the peas can be eaten raw or cooked. If the pods have turned brown, pick them before they split and harvest the dried peas.
Storage: Use pods and young peas within a few days. The dried peas will keep for years if kept in a dry location.
The pioneering Caragana species will help rebuild poor soils.
Russian Pea Shrub (Caragana frutex).
DESIGNING WITH THIS PLANT
- Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens): Zone 2-7
- Caragana boisii (Caragana boisii): Zone 2
- Caragana brevispina (Caragana brevispina): Zone 6
- Caragana decorticans (Caragana decorticans): Zone 6
- Russian Pea Shrub (Caragana frutex): Zone 2-7
- Pygmy Pea Shrub (Caragana pygmeae): Zone 2-7
- Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens): Zone 8-1
Chill Requirement: No reliable information is available, but it is likely considering its origination location.
Plant Type: Medium to Very Large Shrub
Leaf Type: Deciduous
Forest Garden Use: Canopy Layer
Cultivars/Varieties: There are a number of varieties of Caragana arborescens available, but these were all developed for flowers, not for other beneficial characteristics. Other than that, almost no development has been undertaken.
Pollination: Self-fertile. Bee pollinated.
Flowering: Spring
Years to Begin Fruiting: 3-5 years
Life Span: Up to 50+ years
There are a variety of sizes in the Caragana genus.
Here is the medium-sized Russian Pea Shrub (Caragana frutex).
And the small Pygmy Pea Shrub (Caragana pygmeae)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PLANT
- Siberian Pea Tree/Shrub (Caragana arborescens): 8-20 feet (2.4-6 meters) tall and 12-18 feet(3.5-5.5 meters) wide
- Caragana boisii (Caragana boisii): 8-20 feet (2.4-6 meters) tall and 13 feet(4 meters) wide
- Caragana brevispina (Caragana brevispina): 8 (2.4 meters) tall
- Caragana decorticans (Caragana decorticans): 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall
- Russian Pea Shrub (Caragana frutex): 6-10 feet (1.8-3 meters) tall and wide
- Pygmy Pea Shrub (Caragana pygmeae): 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and wide
Roots: Fairly deep, but very extensive root system (used for erosion control)
Growth Rate: Medium to Fast
Fragrant flowers are just the icing on the cake of this multi-use “wonder-shrub”!
GROWING CONDITIONS FOR THIS PLANT
Shade: Does not tolerate shade
Moisture: Dry to medium-moisture soils. Can tolerate failry dry conditions once established.
pH: 5.1-8.5 (tolerates a wide range of soil conditions)
Special Considerations for Growing: None.
Propagation:
Typically from seed. Soak for 24 hrs first. If the seed has not swollen, then scarify and soak again for 12 hrs. Typically germinates in 2-3 weeks. Not dormant. Can be propagated from cuttings and layering as well.
Maintenance: Minimal once established.
Concerns:
- Most species have thorns which can be annoying to problematic depending on where they are planted and how they are used.
- In some areas, the Caragana species are considered invasive; however, this appears to be more of a case in disturbed areas… which is why this is considered a great pioneer species. If the land was not mismanaged in the first place, and repeatedly disturbed, then there would be no place for pioneer species like this, and there would be no “invasive” label to this plant.
Photo References:
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Caragana_arborescens.jpg
- http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=116185&flora_id=2
- http://adisasullivan.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/reed-deer-august-15-caragana-pods.jpg
- http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/tree-selector/system/photos/335/original/caragana_peashrub3.jpg?1315940440
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Caragana_arborescens_flowers,_May_2008,_Prague,_Czech_Republic.jpg
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Caragana_pygmaea_(5182427794).jpg
- http://img4.rajce.idnes.cz/d0409/2/2580/2580487_e65957b89c4e30dad7af3f17cc5dcae3/images/Caragana_frutex.JPG
- http://www.plantarium.ru/dat/plants/3/328/60328_709c9a97.jpg
- http://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/BIG/185497.jpg
Any word on how well this transplants from the wild?
How do you justify planting something that is a known invasive? Yes, if the land had been well managed in the first place, they wouldn’t invade, but not everywhere is well managed. We really want to plant things like Siberian pea shrub and goumi, but being an ecologist by trade, it is so hard for me to knowingly plant another potential bittersweet or multiflora rose. Thoughts?
I believe it was Bill Mollison that said there is nothing invasive or native… everything is native to Earth. While I understand where he is coming from with that, I think we can choose to be a little more cautious. If there is a working ecosystem, then there is no reason to add any plant to it. We have had so much destruction of ecosystems, I don’t see the need to destroy more. So I am not a fan of clearing forest to rebuild a forest garden… that’s backwards. If the system is damaged, then these plants have a role, often transient, in repairing the system. This system will be one that we design, and if we manage it, we can success one species out with minimal effort by letting animals and nature do the work for us. But we have to be active in this system. I think that is the key.
A good point, Jessie. My own inclination hovers between seeing myself as part of the natural world & working with nature – and the ‘ ‘hands off’, at least this area, but my lifestyle requires destruction of that area over there’ dichotomy of contemporatry Western ecological thought.
Many do not realize that there is almost no ‘untouched Nature’ in the lower 48 States. Whether by the immigrants of the past few centuries – or by the much more Ecological Indian*, all but maybe a few rocky peaks have been trammeled. (Have you read the book by that title? Or ‘1491’?).
Yet, it was a shock to discover that most of the ‘invasive’ plants I heard of are actually very *useful* plants. Many bring benefits to native wildlife and/or have strong potential to help provide for human needs with minimal negative impact on the envoironments, as they don’t need herbicides, fungicides, peticides, or chemical fertilizers to thrive. Some may interfere with the factory-farm production of commodity crops. (Personally, I am not in favor of the commodification of food crops. Or factory farming – both of which have arguably caused much more damage to the eco-systems of the planet than all the ‘invasives’ combined. A great topic for a thesis paper, methinks.)
Add the fact that the toxic chemical herbicide manufacturers have been adding momentum to the demonizing of certain plants – and advocating the application of yet more synthetic toxic chemicals to rid an area of what might be a valuable addition to the local flora & fauna. From what I see, many of these plants are helping to restore bady damaged soils & eco-systems even if they are more recent ‘immigrants’, so I have personally become very skeptical of the label ‘invasive’.
– Multiflora rose -provides hips for native birds, shelter for birds & small animals, browse for deer, other wild animals and livestock – and the flowers are liked by native as well as non-native pollinators (honeybees). Hips are edible by humans, as are young leaves & flowers. Some domestic livestock may need to learn how to eat them, but they can provide additional layers of forage production to pastures, including horses.
– Kudzu – higher protein & yields than alfalfa for livestock. Leaves, shoots, blosoms & roots are edible by humans. Drought resistant; no need for fertilizer, lime, or irrigation – all of which are damaging to natural ecosystems. Provides shelter for native wildlife.
Autumn olive – thrives on damaged/ depleted soils. Wildlife & humans can enjoy the nutritious fruit (17 x higher in lycopene than tomatos). Fixes nitrogen into soils.
Water hyacinth – edible by humans (if grown in relatively toxin-free water). Excellent fodder for livestock. FANTASTIC bio-mass plant. (Leaves switchgrass in the dirt!). Removes many kinds of toxins from polluted waterways. Millons are spent fighting this plant in Florida each year – why not harvest it instead?
I’ll stop there…
*’Indian’ is apparantly a corruption of Columbus’ observation of the first people he met in the New World; in his diary he called them ‘a people en Dios’ – a people in God, as he was so impressed by how harmoniously they lived with each other and the natural world around them. Extinct, now, of course.
Loads of species arent native, including u. The honey bee isnt native. Wheat isnt native. Chinese chestnut isnt native. I absolutely adore nature but there is only one type of plant i would avoid planting completely on any small property and thats a vigorous runner lile bamboo or knotweed. Extremely useful species like pea shrub and goumi are plants i without question want access too. I couldnt care less if they find some niches. IMO people are starving the world over and my country takes their habitat and food and traditional lifestyles to feed its growing needs. If a plant helps me to become independant from that system i couldnt care less about its ecological impact when the true ecological impacts are always man made and always awful. Not some lowley plant self seeding iny neoghbors lawn (ecological desert)
Living in the UK, I’m not too concerned about invasiveness. I would love a pea tree, for it’s beauty and the edible pods. I believe when they’re young and green they may be cooked whole. There are a number of species listed here. My usual supplier (agroforestryresearchhtrust.co.uk) only offers the Siberian pea tree. I’m interested in the others and would love to know the special properties and differences between them. Can anyone enlighten me? Please?
Just wanted to drop in my experience here in Michigan – my father planted Caragana (that or hedges is how we referred to them) along the border of two windswept fields and the windward edge of a several hundred acre forest. They are over 30 years old now, lush foliage and beautiful fragrant flowers near Memorial day, bumblebees love them. You could say they are like family in my memory, so I was quite perturbed to find them blacklisted as invasive during an ecology reading binge. Perhaps it’s our conditions, but I’ve never found a seedling from several hundred plants, either in poplar thickets, near evergreens, in mixed meadows, or brush piles. There is lots of grey dogwood thicket, wild grape, and honeysuckle moving in to newer areas, but not Caragana. We have clay soil which can stay pretty wet in the spring and gets rock dry in the summer, but the forest edge tapers into sand, would think it’d like it there, but nothing. The foliage suffers a bit during extended drought with those farm-field winds. The taste of the green peas from the pod isn’t great, but maybe amusing for awhile… Somebody should work on selections! Couple of centuries away I tell you. The tactile memory of blackened-brown dry pods is a fond one, the peas drop from the pods delightfully. The shrubs will grow in a light to medium shade but thin out, naturally, and are probably closer to 8-10 feet. With full sun they can’t be much taller than 15 feet here, but it’s been awhile since I saw them up close. In the brunt of the wind, they seem to top out at a lower 12 or so feet, even with full sun and a drainage ditch below. Early growth after planting is slow, I believe they were started by seed. I haven’t had luck germinating seed bought off amazon, so I’m trying a wholesale website out west for seedlings that work to around a dollar apiece…
It is amazing how quickly some plants can be selected for specific desired characteristics. Particularly where there is already a lot of genetic variation in the species one is working with. In many cases, selections from wild (or unselected) stock can yield a commercially valuable variety; ‘Rubel’ blueberry is one that comes immediately to mind. It was selected from the wild decades ago, and is still being planted.
Since Siberan pea shrub ‘peas’ are already palatable, if not delectable in the opinion of some who have tried them, identifying specific plants with desireable traits should be fairly easy. More seeds per pod, larger peas, and flavor are all traits that should be easy to improve, to a reasonable degree, because the genetic potential almost certainly already exists within these species (especially the Siberian pea shrub/tree).
Breeding for more extreme differences from the ‘wild type’ – in size of pods & peas, yeild, or whatever – is where we may end up taking a low-maintainence plant and create one that needs to be coddled. This is demonstrated in the history of many of the commodity and garden crops grown today.
Many thanks for the info.
Seventeen years ago I planted 25 eight inch tall Siberian Pea Shrubs on our couple acres in Minnesota. We have nice black soil and seem to alternate between drought and too much rain. Our winters are harsh. Some of the shrubs are in full sun, some are now in near full shade. The shrubs are all doing well, don’t need pruning and the deer/rabbits/gophers don’t attack them. They grew fast the first seven years and have stayed about the same size since. This year is the first time I’ve seen any offspring. I have two new pea shrubs and both sprouted up under the branches of the older shrubs. Both were very easy to dig out the entire root ball. At that rate of reproduction, I’d think the old ones would die out faster than new plants would grow.
Hello, is there some species who have dried out blue peas inside brown pods In the end o summer, beginning of September ?
Hello, just wanted to say thanks for the information! At our house, we have almost 5—I think fully mature— hedges! All around our house, but, not on the North side. Thanks again!
Thanks for the always thoughtful sharing of information. We have 8 year old shrubs here at our farm in Vermont, and have just harvested the pods for the beans this year. Only the decent-tasting ones! The notion of a perennial bean is exhilarating, so we will be planting and breeding more of these as a legume for human consumption. I’m curious to hear from anyone with experience using the green pods or the flowers as a food source. It is exciting that the forage value of this species is off the charts, too. Love your work and website. Aspire to offer as helpful information as you do some day.
Where Can I buy the seeds of this plant, the Siberian pea tree, do you know of one type growing more in warmer climate, from 12 to 25 degrees celcius?
Thanks,
Daniel
Can any of the types grow in Southern Oklahoma? We have honey bee’s and erosion problems. If so where would we purchase?
They are selling plants and seeds for Caragana at EBay…
Burnt Ridge Nursery in Washington sells pea shrubs at VERY good prices…they also have bulk discounts.
We bought several of these bushes hoping for a windbreak, which they have done nicely. However, they have spread in a very determined fashion. I have tried for years to get them to quit! But so far I’ve had no luck. Does anybody know of a good way to remove them without using poison? It has been too much of a good thing.
[…] Permaculture Plants: Pea Trees and Pea Shrubs | Temperate … – Description: Known as Pea Shrubs or Trees (if they get large enough), the Caragana species are in the Legume Family, and they really do produce edible pods and peas. […]
Has anyone tried pea shrubs in the southeast. I’m in SC.
Caragana Microphylla ( littleleaf peashrub). Seeds for this are listed on eBay ? What is this as opposed to those listed on this page?
I’m considering planting a hedge as both a windbreak and visual barrier. I want to plant fruit trees south of the hedge. How much space should I leave between the trees and the peashrub? the variety available to me is the Carangana.
where can i get one
I stumbled upon this site while googling “why did the leaves fall off of my pea tree prematurely?” Last summer, our summer started off extremely wet (Zone 5-Ohio), it rained until July. End of July came and the rain literally was turned off for months, it began to feel like a drought. My 3 year old established pea tree began dropping its leaves in August and by mid-September, it was bare. I’m worried about it. I normally begin to see spouting buds this time of year but I am not noticing them, or I’m just afraid to look close because I feel there’s something wrong with the tree. It gets full sun and it close to the front walkway, creating a nice ornamental tree by the front door. The little stems that hold the pods normally fall off with the leaves and pods, but that didn’t happen last fall. All the leaves fell off along with the pods, leaving the stems completely in tact making the tree looks like it has little brown wires sticking out of the branches. Should I be concerned with my tree? I really love this tree and it looks beautiful in bloom. It’s a real conversation piece. Thanks for any advice.
One of the reasons they are considered invasive is that they are very hard to get rid of once you have them as a commenter mentioned. In fact in our dry climate we joke that the only way to get rid of them is drown them. Usually a trench is dug and water is pumped in until the roots rot. I do have a lot of seedlings but they do not spread too far from the hedge.
Also the seeds are mildly toxic. During the dirty thirty’s desperate people did eat a fair number of the peas and became sick. Children eating a few is nothing to worry about. At least that is what the poison centre told me.
it has been stated in this thread that the seeds and flowers are both edible and poison; I would love to use the flowers in salads and as garnishes but if they are poison well hopefully you get the picture! any help would be wonderful.
We have a small Siberian Pea Shrub,unfortunately we have had a terribly hot summer and it has turned brown!! We have constantly watered it every day ,we wondered if will start budding again!! Hopefully you can advise us on our problem!!
Do you think it will survive?
I just bought a pea shrub, it won’t be delivered for a few months. I’m very excited to get one only I’m not sure it will grow here in usda zone 8b, Californias high desert. I hadn’t seen anything about the zones in my reading and this article says zone 7. When I buy plants I try not to buy anything that cannot servive at least 15 degree winters, even though it sometimes gets colder for short periods. I just bought some morenga trees and it gets to cold here for them, I’m just hoping that being well mulched the roots will servive the winter.
I also live in the high desert, but in Oregon – on the east side of the Cascades. My Siberian Pea shrubs are one of a few plants that do well here – and they are beautiful and fragrant! So, I don’t think you’ll have any problem growing them in the high desert in California. Also, although they spread a bit, I wouldn’t call them invasive – at least not in our harsh climate.
[…] Permaculture Plants: Pea Trees and Pea Shrubs Temperature Change Permaculture. […]
[…] Pea shrub is one of the more controversial plants that we increasingly see due to permaculture’s spreading interests. […]
years ago like about 60 years my Mum had a n edible pea tree in the back yard and I was wondering if you knew where I might be able to buy seeds or a tree. I remember they tasted really good and if we played in the tree we were in big trouble. Thank you for your time.
We live in a very rural, very poor soil and many rocks, ultra-cold winters (-50) that grows very little other than Spruce and Willow but my Siberian Peas are doing just fine as a hedge between us and the Summertime neighbors. They require little care, are very good for long dry spells once established. It is apparently great browse as the moose do a job on them in the winter but they generally spring back ever stronger.
I can see that they can spread but ours are between 2 driveways. I would think if control was needed, then just a rototilling on both sides should work pretty well in the early summer.
they are a legume, depositing nitrogen in the soil, so that’s good. Our were slow growing at first but now burst out like gangbusters. The flowers draw birds and insects and are lovely. Interesting to watch the seed pods in the fall – they are made to split open with any shock and then jettison the seed pods quite energetically – which also makes them easy to gather.
I want to try a pea tree next if I can find one.
We had some of these when I lived in central Wyoming. I never tried to get rid of them (though a neighbor said she hated hers for that reason), but I never noticed them spreading. I thought the blossoms tasted very similar to pea blossoms, but never actually tried the peas or pods. I would imagine the toxic/edible thing is just the same which is true for all dry beans – they have to be soaked and/or cooked (depending on the variety) before eating
I bought one of these from a local nursery several years ago, and it seems to be growing well in my clay soil in zone 4a. I have yet to see any new shrubs sprouting from dropped seeds, so I am not too worried about invasiveness. Last fall I collected a handful of seeds, and am trying to grow them now. I found this site while searching to see if there were any special requirements for germination. It is an attractive looking plant and the bees like the flowers. I am glad to find out about its other uses.
Hey John. Do seeds of the Siberian variety need to be overwintered to sprout? At what point in the seeds’ development do they become ready to harvest?
I have dozens of these shrubs in central Iowa that are reaching the 4 year mark and producing COPIOUS amounts of seed pods. I’m wondering when I can start harvesting and propagating them.