Broom
Latin Name : Cytisus sp.
The Broom, or Cytisus is a beautiful flowering shrub which is a member of the Pea family – Leguminosae.
The flower of the Broom is typical of members of the Pea Family – Leguminosae.
… and the proof is the seed pod that it produces.
There are many, many species and varieties out there, and they mostly flower in late Spring or early Summer. The majority are lime tolerant, but Cytisus scoparius and the various hybrids thereof will not succeed in poor, shallow chalky soils, or funnily enough on extremely acid soils. The broom in the image above is the popular hybrid, Cytisus x praecox ‘Allgold’.
Many colours and by-Colours are available, and pruning should be undertaken immediately after flowering, making sure not to cut into the hard wood of the plant.
As beautiful as they are, if left unpruned they can become very ‘leggy’, and as they are not a long-lived plant – maybe 15 years or so – it is best to give them the attention that benefits them, because it will end up benefitting you too.