The Siberian Pea Tree is a very cold hardy, durable shrub that has bright yellow flowers. It is a large, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with upright branching that grows to 15-20’ tall and to 12-15’ wide. It is native to Siberia and Manchuria. It features pinnately compound bright green leaves (to 3” long), each with 4 to 6 pairs of obovate to elliptic-oblong leaflets (to 1”). Stipules are usually spiny. Pea-like yellow flowers bloom singly or in clusters in May. Flowers give way to yellowish-green pods (to 3” long) that mature to brown in summer. Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Plant tolerates a number of adverse conditions including poor soils, drought and strong winds. Hardy in zones 2-7.
Growing Instructions for the Siberian Pea Tree
The seeds have a period of dormancy. They can be planted outdoors in the fall or winter for spring germination or they can be cold stratified to simulate winter conditions and to break their dormancy at any time of the year. 1. Soak the seeds in water for 12 hours. 2. Put the seeds in a ziplock bag. 3. Put the bag in the refrigerator and leave it there for 4 weeks. 2. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. Water the mixture so that it is moist but not wet. 3. Put the seeds on the soil. 4. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. 5. Water the seeds. 6. Place the pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade 7. When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.
