We have had a "weeping pea" shrub in our front yard for ten years. It hasn't grown or done much of anything but has appeared healthy. Last year it started a new branch that grew straight up. This year we've noticed that the "bole" at the top of the trunk, where all the drooping branches start, has large cracks in it and most of the leaves have become yellow tipped. Are we losing this tree? Is there anything we can do for it? Fleur
When you say weeping pea shrub it makes me think of a species of Caragana, which is what I believe the common name refers to locally. It is normally grafted as a top graft about 4 to 6 feet above ground level. Greenish bark, lots of lenticels, not a terribly common tree. We may not be talking about the same thing as common names are not consistent and hence, suck, when it comes to ID or advice time. :)
Yes, weeping pea shrub and a weeping Caragana are the same thing. For the weeping pea shrub, nurseries take a regular vertical growing pea shrub, reduce it to one vertical trunk about 4-5' tall and then graft the weeping pea shrub to the top. In a perfect world, this would result in an umbrella shaped shrub. Problems can arise though. The regular pea shrub can sucker at it's base, it can send off vertical shoots along the trunk, and the graft can fail, killing off the weeping pea shrub portion. The further north you go, the more popular it gets. I guess as you reduce the pool of shrubs that will grow in a given climate, Caragana gets more popular. I would call it an invasive weed in Edmonton, with thickets along the river valley.
I believe you are right, the weeping pea and caragana are the same thing. I didn't realize that it was a grafted shrub, altho I guess I should have just by the nature of the beast. Our neighbour planted one that started sending out suckers this spring. Would it do any good to just keep cutting off the suckers and vertical growths? Is there anything I can do to stop the cracks in the top section or are we in the first stages of losing the tree? Thanks for your help guys. Fleur