Tree medick

Medicago arborea

Shrub2×2 mzone 8–9full sun

Will it grow where I live?

Tree medick is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.

Or check it for your location right here:

Winter hardiness by USDA zone, summer warmth by heat sum – the same values the app and the plant finder use.

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

evergreenscented

Uses

Edible1 of 10

Other uses1 of 10

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.

Origin & habitat

Scrubland and rocky hillside slopes.

Frequently asked questions

Tree medick: how big does it get?

Tree medick (Medicago arborea) grows as a Shrub and reaches roughly 2 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 2 m. Growth is medium.

Tree medick: what site does it need?

Tree medick tolerates full sun. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 5.6 and 7.6.

Tree medick: is it hardy?

Tree medick is listed as hardy in zone 8–9 and survives normal winters outdoors there.

Tree medick: will it grow in Central Europe?

Tree medick: is it poisonous?

Individual parts of Tree medick are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.

Tree medick: what is it used for?

Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 1/10, Other uses 1/10.

Community experience

No first-hand reports for this plant yet.

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