https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/184923288
For my species, I found the Siberian Peashrub. There are a few of them scattered randomly around my house, and one of them is so tall I can't even get a picture of the peas, so I took a picture of the shortest one. I don't know how long they have been here, but it's well over 50 years. My father told me they were called snow peas, but after looking at pictures, Siberian Peashrub seems more accurate. My experience with Siberian Peashrubs is that they produce peas, and the peas are tasty. You also have to keep an eye on them so that you can harvest them when they've had plenty of time to mature. That's the extent of my knowledge when it comes to peas.
Siberian Peashrub is actually an invasive species native to Siberia and parts of China and neighboring Mongolia and Kazakhstan (Caragana para 1). It was used as a food source by Eurasian immigrants who were traveling west, and that's how it was brought to the United States (Caragana para 1). This makes me wonder if the original homeowner planted one of these Siberian Peashrub 50 some years ago, and they are spreading throughout my yard. Siberian Peashrub was also planted on "Canadian prairies in the 1880's the hardy caragana provided shelter-belts, wildlife habitat, nitrogen fixation, and wind-breaks to prevent soil erosion and snow drifting" (Caragana para 1).
Siberian Peashrub comes from the Fabaceae family and the Caragana genus (Caragana). It is a shrub or small tree that grows 2–6 meters tall, and its growth rate can range from moderate to fast (Caragana para 2). The yellow flowers bloom around May or July and are fragrant (Caragana para 2). The fruit ripens in July, and as they dry out, they slit open popping the seeds everywhere for more plants to grow (Caragana para 2). I didn't know that peas were considered a fruit; I thought that they were vegetables this whole time. This goes to show how taking a closer look at something can reveal something new and exciting.
Source:
“Caragana Arborescens.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 July 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caragana_arborescens. Accessed 25 Sept, 2023
Comentarios
Hi Hannah,
I find it so thought-provoking that this pea shrub has been around your house for over 50 years! It makes me wonder the age of all the plants around me. How many plants are older than me? I did not realize the pea shrubs were invasive, although I'm glad they have tasty peas. I just came back from Mongolia and I am wondering if I was near any of these plants! I would like to see the blooming flowers of this plant and I am also surprised peas are a fruit! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and research!
Hi Hannah;
I have never heard of a Siberian Peashrub, so I looked up your citings to learn more about them. We have a type of pea but have never identified it. That will be one of my goals next year when spring comes again. It grows next to the beach in Totem Park. I have even eaten them, but they are slightly smaller and taste like a pea. I would love to see a Siberian Peashrub; they look pretty big, unlike the ones I am talking about. I wonder if they have found their way to Sitka. I will have to keep an eye out.
We are seeing invasive species entering Alaska, like Goats Beard, which is fast competing with salmonberries. Sometimes, an invasive species can help, like you mentioned how they use it in Canada. On the other hand, invasive species can wipe out plants needed for the ecosystem.
Again, for sharing a new species for me,
Gayleen
I’m surprised you still have so much green that far north from Anchorage! As for your dad’s assessment, I would have thought the same thing had you not fact checked via iNaturalist. It’s interesting that any plant producing food would be considered invasive, I wonder with which plants it is interfering to be considered invasive.
I love that you kept an open mind throughout the process. It’s hard to go against what our parents taught us and you learned two new things – it’s not a snow pea AND it’s a fruit not a vegetable. The old lady in me wants to remind you that your dad is still always right!
Hi Hanna – These are amazing. I’ve never seen peas that grow essentially in trees. We have sweet peas here that grow on the ground, mainly at the beach. I was not expecting to see them hanging from branches in your photos! Fresh peas are the best! I wonder why its considered “invasive.” Maybe just because the rate it grows and spreads but it seems to me that it would be considered a crop, if anything. I was wondering to myself as I read your post the same thing you mentioned, if somebody planted that long ago or if somehow the seeds were spread and ended up at your house.
Thanks for an interesting Journal post rich with both your own experiences with this plant, as well as some data you looked up! Also, great job with your MLA, Hannah!
Best,
Prof Brooke
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