Siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens) is an exceptionally tough, deciduous shrub or small tree that’s ideal for hard-to-plant exposed locations or windbreaks. The plant has attractive foliage, and yellow flowers appear in late spring. The yellow blooms form slender brown seedpods in late summer.
Siberian peashrub has sharp, thorny branches and can become weedy if you allow the seedpods to mature and fall to the ground. Like many other plants in the pea family, Siberian peashrub can add nitrogen to the soil. Siberian peashrub is also attractive to birds, which eat the seeds and nest in the branches.
Siberian peashrub is listed as a noxious weed in several Midwestern states. Check with your local agricultural extension office before planting it.
Siberian Peashrub Overview
Where to Plant Siberian Peashrub
Tough Siberian peashrub is undemanding. Plant it in acid or alkaline soil, sun or partial shade, and moist or dry soil. It grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 2-8. This plant can handle poor sites. It makes an ideal barrier hedge. Site it away from walkways and play areas to avoid contact with the spiny branches.
How and When to Plant Siberian Peashrub
Plant a Siberian peashrub after the last frost in spring. Dig a hole twice as wide as the shrub’s rootball and 2 inches deeper. Amend the soil from the hole with compost, and add some sand if the soil doesn’t drain well. Put 2 inches of the amended soil in the bottom of the hole. Set the rootball in the hole and backfill with the amended soil, pressing down as you go to remove air pockets. Water the plant immediately after planting and every other day for two weeks.
When planting several shrubs, space them 5 to 10 feet apart.
Siberian Peashrub Care Tips
After the shrub is established, care is minimal.
Light
Siberian peashrub prefers full sun (at least six hours a day) but can tolerate some shade.
Soil and Water
Siberian peashrub grows in well-drained soil, even when the soil is not fertile. This shrub is an excellent choice for areas where deicing salt is an occasional hazard. After it is established, Siberian peashrub requires little water—once a week is usually sufficient. It is drought-tolerant and doesn’t do well in wet soil.
Temperature and Humidity
Although this shrub is extremely cold-hardy, it is happiest in the 65°F to 75°F range. When it is hotter, the leaves might wilt and curl. It goes dormant during cold weather. As for humidity, 40-50 percent is the sweet spot for this shrub.
Fertilizer
Fertilize Siberian peashrub once a year in spring with a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Pruning
Prune the shrub in late winter while it is dormant or early spring before any new shoots appear. There is no need to over-prune; just maintain the shrub’s shape. Use sterile tools while pruning.
Pests and Problems
Siberian peashrub attracts the usual garden suspects: spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and aphids. Most can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil or disrupted with a strong spray of water from a garden hose. If the shrub contracts leaf spot, remove and dispose of the damaged foliage. Pruning the shrub to encourage good air circulation might prevent a recurrence.
How to Propagate Siberian Peashrub
Siberian peashrub can be propagated by seed. Harvest the seeds from the seedpods on the Siberian peashrub in the fall. They are best planted while they are ripe. If the seeds have been stored, soak them in water for two days first. They require a period of cold stratification, so plant the seeds in a cold frame. They should germinate in two to three weeks.
Types of Siberian Peashrub
‘Walker’
Caragana arborescens ‘Walker’ is a small weeping peashrub that reaches 5-6 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide. It is a grafted shrub with weeping branches reaching close to the ground. It is covered with yellow blooms in late spring, but it is the weeping shape that makes it a strong accent or focal point.
‘Sutherland’
Caragana arborescens ‘Sutherland’ is an excellent choice for a strong vertical statement in the landscape. This columnar peashrub is 12-20 feet tall with a 4-6 foot spread. The yellow flowers appear in late spring, and the glossy brown bark adds winter interest.
‘Nana’
Caragana arborescens ‘Nana’ is a dwarf Siberian peashrub with a maximum height of 3-6 feet. Its branches are somewhat contorted and a bit spiny. It is a slow grower.
‘Lorbergii’
Caragana arborescens ‘Lorbergii’ is better known for its delicate foliage, which resembles fennel leaves, than for its small yellow flowers. It grows to 15 feet tall with a 10-foot spread. It is an excellent specimen or accent plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you eat the peas of a Siberian peashrub?People and chickens can eat the peas, but people should cook them first.
People and chickens can eat the peas, but people should cook them first.
- How fast does Siberian peashrub grow?With a few exceptions, most of these shrubs have a moderate-to-fast growth rate. Don’t be surprised if your Siberian peashrub grows 1-3 feet the first year after planting.
With a few exceptions, most of these shrubs have a moderate-to-fast growth rate. Don’t be surprised if your Siberian peashrub grows 1-3 feet the first year after planting.
- How far apart should I plant Siberian peashrubs?If you are planting a hedge, space each shrub 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on the cultivar’s mature spread.
If you are planting a hedge, space each shrub 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on the cultivar’s mature spread.
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