Common Name:

General Information

Caragana spinosa is a spiny, much-branched, erect to prostrate deciduous shrub of rather gaunt habit; it usually grows 25 - 150cm tall, occasionally reaching 200cm[, ].
The plant is grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a prickly hedge[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Asia - southern Siberia, northwestern Mongolia

Habitat

Gravelly and stony slopes, steppe solonchaks, riverbanks, forming thickets together with other shrubs; also on sands, where small barchans pile up around them[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Caragana spinosa 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 -30°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[].
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

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be grown as a spiny hedge[]. According to Pallas, the Russian botanist, in the neighbourhood of Pekin, where this shrub is plentiful, its branches are stuck in clay on the tops of walls to keep off trespassers, just as broken glass is used here[].

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.