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Identification Clues:
Although this plant grows 12 feet high, large
enough to be mistaken for a tree, it is actually a woody shrub. It
has light green compound leaves with 8 to 12 small, smooth-margined
leaflets, and small yellow, pea-like flowers. In South Dakota the
flowers appear in the spring, usually in late May. Small spines are
present on the twigs. The fruit is a 2 inch long bean pod that holds
several seeds.
Distribution:
This hardy shrub is a native of Siberia and
Manchuria. It has been introduced and widely cultivated in the northern
United States.
Highlights:
This shrub is ideal for South Dakota because
of its rapid growth and tolerance for drought. |
