Broom is a large deciduous shrub belonging to the pea family. Between March and June it is covered with numerous small, yellow flowers along the branches which also have small three-foliate, green leaves during the spring and summer. The stems are five-angled and remain green all year. It can be confused with gorse, but doesn’t have spines.
Behaviour
The fruit of broom are pods (2.5-7cm long) filled with numerous seeds. They are leaf-green when developing, turning black and hard as they dry, between July and September. The seeds are small (around 3mm diameter) and very hard. In late summer, the pods split open explosively (the cracking of a pod can be heard) sending the seeds several metres from the parent plant. Broom can produce up to 10,000 seeds per season with one square meter of dense thicket containing around 65,000 seeds.
Size
Height: 1-2.5m
Lifespan: 6-15 years. Scotch Broom is usually over-mature at 10 years when plants or single branches begin to die
Status
Common; least concern
Distribution
Common broom is native to Europe, from Ireland to west-central Ukraine and from southern Spain to southern Sweden. It grows on dry, sandy soil, exposed to direct sunlight, in areas with cool, temperate climate. Scottish broom is a native of the British Isles and a common shrub throughout the UK apart from the Outer Hebrides.
When to see
January to December
Facts
- Broom is the county flower of Glasgow.
- Seeds of broom are toxic for humans and livestock. They contain alkaloids which prevent normal functioning of cardiovascular and nervous systems.
- Broom seeds retain their ability to germinate for up to 60 years.
- Broom is very common and widespread within its native range and reaches densities where it is considered a weed. Consequently, in many European countries (within its native range) it has been included in national lists of invasive species. However, treating this species as invasive in areas within its native distribution range is controversial as it has been present in the European flora for centuries.