James A. Duke. Handbook of Energy Crops. Some ethnic groups have used young pods for vegetables. Seeds serve as a valuable wild life food. Bark provides a fiber.
Leaves yield an azure dye.
Because of its cold and drought tolerance, it is widely planted in the US and Canada for windbreaks. In the northern Great Plains, it is also used for hedges and outdoor screening. In the Arctic Circle it is valued as a supplementary fodder for reindeer herds. It is valuable in these colder climates, but in warmer climates like New England as the eastern and western coastal areas of the US, better ornamentals are available. Contains a lectin or phytohemagglutinin.