Are caragana peas edible?
Siberian Pea Shrub (caragana arborescens): Large nitrogen fixing shrub that produces copious amounts of small edible peas and beautiful yellow flowers. The peas are very high in protein and well suited for poultry, livestock, and wildlife plantings. It is widely used for windbreak, nitrogen fixation, livestock fodder, and erosion control in the world’s cold regions. It is particularly common in the Canadian prairies, where hundreds of miles of pea shrub windbreaks have been planted. Siberian pea shrub produces fairly high yields of small beans.
What is Caragana used for?
The genus Caragana is a member of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae and is native to arid and semi-arid areas of the temperate zones of Asia and Eastern Europe. Many species are cultured for dune-fixation, livestock forage and biological resources for fuel energy and fiber production. It provides dense cover for wildlife and is ideal for the shrub row in a windbreak. In Canada, it is planted as single row windbreaks. Caragana is adaptable to conditions of extreme cold and wind. It tolerates a wide range of soil types, including alkaline and saline soils.