Caragana Flowers
- Caraganas prefer full sun and tolerate diverse soils, reaching a height of about 20 feet. Young silky leaves grow up to 3-inches long, turning bright green during the summer and changing to yellow in autumn. By mid-May, miniature, ornamental flowers appear either individually or in small groups of up to four blossoms. Green, elongated seed pods form in late June or early July, growing to about 2-inches long, before turning a tan color by August. The pods split and burst open at maturity, spilling a multitude of seeds onto the ground.
- The C. arborescens "Nana," with a height ranging from 3 to 6 feet, boasts dense foliage and a profusion of blossoms. "Sutherland" has a narrow, upright form, while "Lorbergii" has a graceful form with fine-textured leaves; it can grow to 8-feet tall. Two "weeping" forms include "Pendula," which has stiffly arching branches, and "Walker," which has a stronger weeping effect and dissected leaves.
- Leaf spot disease leads to early defoliation of caragana plants. This fungal affliction develops from excessive wetness and causes round lesions with dark edges to appear on the foliage. Watering only occasionally at the plant base and applying fungicide containing wettable sulfur may help to deter the onset of leaf spot disease. In autumn, caragana blister beetles lay eggs in the soil of caragana plants. Between late May and early June, swarms of these damaging bugs emerge from the soil and feast on the leaves, causing pervasive defoliation. Spraying insecticides directly on the pests and foliage in late May, June or July can curb leaf destruction caused by caragana blister beetles.
- Songbirds nest in caragana branches. The blossoms provide sweet nectar for hummingbirds and the seeds serve as a valuable food source for other wildlife. Siberian peasants sustained the lives of their chickens throughout the winter by feeding them caragana seeds during World War II. Some cultures use the young seed pods as vegetables. An azure dye can be extracted from caragana leaves.