Scientific Name:

Cytisus scoparius

Family Name:

Pea Family

Habitat:

Open areas & areas disturbed by humans.

1. Compound leaves, with3 thin clover-like leaflets.

2. Yellow-red, irregular-shaped flowers with 5 petals.

3. Scotchbroom is a shrub, between 2 to 6 feet in height.

4. Pods are like those of pea pods, but long, thin & hairy. The pods explode on hot days when the seeds are ripe to aid distribution of seeds.

5. Branches are stiff, angled in cross-section.

Uses or Importances:

1. Leaves and pods are poisonous.

2. Branches were used in Scotland as simple brooms.

3. Cultivated locally as a garden plant.

4. Scotch broom easily escapes cultivation to become a pesky weed which easily spreads through disturbed areas.

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