Tree medick

Profile

Family

Leguminosae

Habit

Shrub

Height

2 m

Spread

2 m

Growth

medium

Lifespan

20 years

First yield

after 2 years

Hardiness

zone 8–9

Shade tolerance

full sun

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam

Soil moisture

dry – very wet

pH

5.6 – 7.6

Uses

Edible: Leaves – raw or cooked. Young shoots, when the plant is growing vigorously, have a slightly sweetish, grassy taste, but are rather tough. Older leaves, and younger leaves when the plant is not growing vigorously, are decidedly bitter and rather unpleasant.

Growing

This plant requires a warm, fully sunny position and thrives in dry or well-drained, moist soils. In cooler regions of the country it grows best against a wall. It is wind- and salt-tolerant and is therefore well suited to coastal gardens. In the colder parts of Britain, the plant is not hardy. It tolerates temperatures down to about -10°C when dormant, although late spring frosts can damage young growth. Outdoors it does not thrive at Kew, but grows well against a wall. The flowers smell of vanilla or sweet pea. Pruning is limited to removing dead wood in spring. This species lives in symbiosis with certain soil bacteria. These bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix nitrogen from the air. Some of this nitrogen is used by the growing plant, some is also available to other plants nearby.

Propagation

Soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours and then sow them in a greenhouse in spring. Sowing in the greenhouse is also possible in autumn. Germination is usually quite rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough and grow on for at least the first winter in the greenhouse. Plant out into the open in late spring or early summer. Alternatively, cuttings of semi-ripe wood can be taken in July/August in a cold frame. With bottom heat, propagation is very easy.

Origin & habitat

Scrubland and rocky hillside slopes.

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