Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

3-6'

 

Flower Color

Orange, Pink, Red, Yellow, White

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Green, Grey

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Fall

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Shrub Border, Foundation, Walls / Fences, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Scotch broom is deciduous shrub that grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, with an upright, irregular to rounded form. It has very finely-textured green leaves that are small and needle-like. New wood is a bright green and vidid in the landscape, and very old stems are a grey-brown. Pea-like flowers bloom May and June, and are followed by pea-like brown pods. There are a number of cultivars available, differing in size and flower color (whites, creams, yellows, pinks, and red). The species has a yellow flower. Use in a shrub or foundation border; smallerer forms are great in parkstrips.

Grow in full sun in well-drained, dry, sandy to sandy-loam soils. Will tolerate a clay soil as long as it is well draining and not subject to over-watering. Cut back after blooming, if necessary. There are some regions of the US where scotch bloom has demonstrated an invasive tendency.