There's an article with a lot of information about this plant at: ...Read Morecaraganachina.htm" target="_dgnew"rel="nofollow">http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/pasture/peashrub/caragana...
They've been working with it in China to reclaim land in semi-arid regions and as a fodder for sheep and other browsing animals, since its leaves are about as high in protein as alfalfa, and they say about a fifth of the leaves can still be browsed in winter. Russian peasants are said to have fed their chickens during WW II winters on the seeds, which are about 30 percent protein, and said to be edible, cooked, by people, too. Said to be very good for bees, blue dye, paper pulp, firewood ...
It fixes nitrogen and has a huge root system to hold the soil, so other plants begin to grow around it. They say they have only found one variety, C. pygmae, to be invasive, in badly managed pastures in Mongolia.
There's an article with a lot of information about this plant at:
...Read More