Caragana arborescens Pendula - Siberian Pea Tree.

Caragana arborescens 'Pendula' is a variety of bush or Siberian Peashrub grafted on a stem, without thorns, with a weeping crown that reaches the ground. This deciduous shrub, also known as 'Siberian Pea' because of its light yellow pea-like melliferous flowers, is as elegant as it is hardy. It deserves a prominent place in the garden or in a container on the terrace.

Caragana arborescens 'Pendula' belongs to the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family. This variety is usually grafted on a stem of 80 cm to 1.50 m to enhance its weeping and trailing habit. The grafting on a stem also gives the shrub height, which facilitates maintenance and pruning. The species is native to Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, and Korea. It is often found in steppes, meadows, on rocky slopes, on the edge of forests, and on riverbanks. Hardy well below -20°C, this plant tolerates a wide range of soils, from slightly acidic to very chalky, even poor ones, but it dislikes waterlogged soils. Its very deep root system allows it to withstand drought once the shrub is well established.

The Siberian Peashrub 'Pendula' is a moderately fast-growing deciduous shrub. It consists of an upright trunk topped with a trailing crown. The plant can reach a height between 1.50 m and 2 m with a similar width, although it can be kept smaller through pruning. Its deciduous, dense, very fresh light green foliage consists of leaves divided into 5 to 7 pairs of small oval and hairy leaflets of about 2 cm. They turn yellow in autumn before falling. Flowering takes place from April to May. Short clusters of light yellow pea-like flowers bloom here and there among the foliage, on the previous year's wood. This nectar-rich and melliferous flowering is followed by the formation of 5 cm long pods, most often sterile. In Caragana, the young pods, as well as the peas and flowers, are edible.

The 'Pendula' Siberian Peashrub will form an elegant specimen in small spaces, including in our very cold regions and in poor soils. In an elegant bed dedicated to it, you can plant Variegated Greater Periwinkle or salvias, especially shrub salvias with blue flowers ('Blue Note', 'Delice Aquamarine') or ground-covering Salvia forreri in a mild climate garden.