Cytisus scoparius Seeds | Broom
LATIN NAME: Cytisus scoparius
COMMON NAME: Broom
Plant Profile
Broom (Cytisus scoparius) grows as a shrub in the pea family. Broom raises its many golden-yellow, pea-like flowers along green, wiry, leafless stems, and the whole shrub carries the fine, bright look of the open country. Each of these traits is modest on its own; together they make a garden-worthy plant.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the pea family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Broom brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Broom is a fine, bright shrub of open bank and study collection. It is a fine, bright shrub of open, sunny, sharp-draining garden. Give young plants sharp-draining soil, and golden flowers will line stems in late spring. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Brooms are glorious spring shrubs; they contain cytisine, a nicotine-receptor alkaloid now developed as a smoking-cessation medicine, which also makes the plant itself unsafe for self-use.
Growing from Seed
Raising Broom from seed is straightforward. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Given the right start, Broom is a long-term garden companion. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
Related Reading
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