In order to provide a scientific basis for the use of carbohydrate additives to prepare high‐quality Cara‐ gana intermedia silage,the effects of different carbohydrate additives on the fermentation quality,nutrient composition and microbial quantity of Caragana intermedia silage were investigated. C. intermedia in the gestational stage and the full-bloom stage was used as raw material. Four groups including no addition (CK,control),glucose (G treatment), sucrose (S treatment) and starch (A treatment) were set up,with the addition amount of 1. 5%. After 60 days of si‐ lage at room temperature,samples were taken to determine the fermentation quality,nutrient composition and micro‐ bial number. The results showed that the pH value and acetic acid content of control group and treatment group at full-bloom stage were significantly lower than those at gestational stage (P<0. 01). However,crude protein (CP) content in control group and treatment group and ammonia nitrogen content in treatment group in full-bloom stage were significantly higher than those in gestational bud stage (P<0. 01). The experiment also demonstrated that com‐ pared with the control group,the three carbohydrate additives significantly reduced the pH value and acetic acid con‐ tent of C. intermedia at the gestational bud stage and the full‐ bloom stage (P<0. 01). Besides,the three carbohy‐ drate additives significantly increased the pH value of Caragana silage at full flowering stage,the ammonia nitrogen content in total nitrogen and the number of lactic acid bacteria in Caragana silage at gestational bud and full flowering stage (P<0. 01). In conclusion,according to fermentation quality and nutrient content,the silage quality of Caragana was the best when 1. 5% sucrose was added at full‐bloom stage stage.