Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs. Common broom or Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a native of northwestern Europe, where it is found in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils.

 

The plant has leafless stems that in spring and summer are covered in profuse golden-yellow flowers. Apart from the yellow flowers, a few have white, orange, red, pink or purple flowers. Broom plants grow up to 10 feet tall, with sharply angled branches off the main stem, trifoliate leaves, and bright yellow small flowers.

 

Brooms tolerate (and often thrive best in) poor soils and growing conditions. In cultivation they need little care, though they need good drainage and perform poorly on wet soils. Scotch broom spreads quickly and aggressively at the expense of other plants and trees, and is often considered a pest.

 

Both the flower and herb of Broom have been used medicinally. Broom flower is one of fifteen herbs. It is an ingredient in pink paint, laurels, and several mugs. Broom flower is needed in the production of Apothecary products-Pink paint, Beard control wax, Hair control tonic, Distillery products-Chalice, Horn, Pitcher, Tailor products-Laurel, Furnisher products, Crate o'herbs, Crate o'spices.

 

Broom is a lovely sight when in full flower. In New Zealand, broom is regarded to be a noxious plant, much like the gorse, and, like gorse, broom is often sprayed with herbicide by farmers.  But, like the gorse, broom has provided us with a very useful flower essence. Brooms are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species.

 

Did you know?

• Synonyms of the plant include bannal, basam, besenginaterkraut, besom, bissom, bream, broom, broom tops, broomtops, browme, brum and common broom.