Herb: Shag-Spine


Latin name: Caragana jubata


Synonyms: Robinia jubata


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Shag-Spine:

Antirheumatic, demulcent, vulnerary. Used in the treatment of boils, swellings, coughs, headaches and rheumatic arthritis.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Dry gravel slopes above the sub-alpine forest belt.

Other uses of Shag-Spine:

A fibre obtained from the bark is used for making cordage, gunny bags etc. A very spiny plant, it forms an impenetrable barrier and can be grown as a hedge.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. It usually germinates in 2 weeks. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water then sown in a cold frame. If the seed has not swollen then scarify it and re-soak for another 12 hours before sowing. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°C. Good percentage. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Layering in spring.

Cultivation of Shag-Spine:

Dry gravel slopes above the sub-alpine forest belt.

Known hazards of Caragana jubata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.