Common Name: Chinese Pea Shrub

General Information

Caragana sinica is a spiny, deciduous shrub of rounded, bushy habit; it can grow 150 - 200cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food. It is cultivated on a small scale in Korea for its bark and young stems, which are used medicinally[], and is sometimes also grown as an ornamental..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - eastern and southern China, Korea

Habitat

Open slopes on mountains in Korea[]. Mountain hills; at elevations from 400 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Caragana sinica prefers a continental climate with its hot summers, cold winters and usually a clear movement from one season to another. The dormant plant can tolerate temperatures down to at least -15°c, but in more maritime climates it is often tempted to come into growth early and this new growth can easily be damaged by late spring frosts
Prefers full sun and a light sandy dry or well-drained soil[, , ]. Does not require a rich soil, succeeding on marginal land[].
The bruised bark smells like liquorice[].
This plant is closely related to Caragana ussuriensis (with which it was once united), a low shrub of rocks, forest glades and roadsides[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Boiled and washed[].

Medicinal

The root contains a number of medically active constituents including saponins, stilbenes and caraganosides[]. It has been shown to have antiinflammatory activity and is used in Korea in the treatment of arthritis, neuralgia, diarrhoea and bone weakness[]. It is said to be restorative and tonic[].

The stem is made into a broth with other foods and used in the treatment of advanced syphilis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[]. It usually germinates in 2 weeks[]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water then sown in a cold frame[, , ]. If the seed has not swollen then scarify it and re-soak for another 12 hours before sowing[]. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c[]. Good percentage[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[].
Layering in spring.