How to Grow and Care for Sweet Broom Shrubs?

Sweet broom are shrubs that you can find in many different shapes, sizes, and colors as well. They have 30 different species, and each of them is famous for its qualities. You can find them in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They are attractive and you can easily grow them in your garden, this would be a great choice for you.

Many people consider the plant a noxious weed, it is an attractive plant with its pea-like golden yellow blooms and bright green compound leaves. The plant grows quickly and produces a nice airy bush with drought and cold tolerance. You can find a variety of colors, including yellow, white, pink, orange, and red.

What is a Sweet Broom shrub?

You will wonder to know that this is a common name for the two plants belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae), Cytisus and Genista. This is the evergreen shrubs that you will find many varieties of. They are attractive and give a stunning look to your garden if you grow them in your home. This would be a great choice for you as a gardener to grow them.

You can commonly find them along highways on the West Coast of the United States. They grow rapidly with having a loose and bushy habit. They need proper sunlight and have a sharp fragrance. This fragrant, attractive bloom is a harbinger of summer. This shines on many of the country’s highways and attracts pollinators of many species.

They have attributes that they are deciduous and compact, these attributes make them perfect for growing in a home garden if you have a small area. But not all the people think same, some of them view them are harmful weeds, their pea-like golden yellow blossoms and brilliant green complex leaves make them appealing plants. 

How can you grow a Sweet Broom plant? 

When you the pods of the plants fully turn black, you can harvest them. Their way of turning black is a sign that they have ripened. You need to know that every fussy gorse plant seed may not germinate. 

Common Names	Broom, broom plant
Botanical Name	Cytisus spp., Genista spp.
Family	Fabaceae
Plant Type	Shrub
Mature Size	6-8 ft. tall, 5-6 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full
Soil Type	Loamy, well-drained
Soil pH	Acidic, neutral, alkaline
Bloom Time	Spring, summer
Flower Color	Yellow, white, red, orange, purple
Hardiness Zones	8-10 (USDA)
Native Area	Europe
Toxicity	Toxic to humans, toxic to pets

You have to learn its steps to grow them. All you have to do is take a pod and fill it with sand. Before that, you have to put the seeds of your plant in warm water for at least 24 hours. Now germinate them at 65 degrees F in sweet broom landscape. You can do this indoors in March or outdoors in April, it all depends on your climate.

Now the next step is to hide the early seed with a cloth of cold rack. The last step is, the roots will start growing long and the plant will not thrive if transplanted at a later stage in the spring season.

What You Need for Yellow Broom Plant Care?

Once you have grown them in your home garden. The thing you need to worry about is how would you care for it.  Because you need to give time, attention, and proper care. 

Sunlight requirements 

• You would be happy to know that they feel pleasure when you grow them in an open area.
• They prefer open areas.
• They need full sun for their growth.
• But they can also survive in partially shady areas too.
• You need to follow the lighting and location instructions for each strain.
• They make gorse plants with fewer flowers leggy if placed in high shade.

Water requirements 

• You need to give them moist soil.
• For this purpose, a watering schedule must be followed.
• They can take advantage of the climate being dry or the soil is not good material.
• You need to have an eye on them.
• Try to check if the soil gets dry, then water the plants. 
• This will lead your plant to the best growth phase.

Soil requirements 

• You can consider it the primary need of the plant.
• They prefer well-drained soil.
• It can be clay, sand, and loamy.
• You need to make the best soil acidic.
• This will prove best and in this way, you can keep your plant growing healthy. 

Broom Types

You can find different types based on species, cultivars, and hybrids such as:

Cytisus Varieties

• Cytisus x kewensis is also called kew broom.
• They usually grow up to 2 feet tall.
• You will find them best grown in rocky areas.
• You will see that they are growing wide and low-growing shrubs. 
• They create pale yellow to creamy white flowers that are used to bloom in spring.
• The Cytisus x spachianus is also called a sweet broom.
• You need to learn about the fact that it is a hybrid having bright yellow, sweetly fragrant flowers that are used to grow in late spring.
• The third variety is  Cytisus x ‘Lena’ which is called Lena scotch brooms.
• They usually grow up to 4 feet tall.
• They make foliage of deep green color and flowers in red and yellow color.
• You can grow them during the spring and early summer seasons.
• The next variety is Cytisus X praecox which is known as Warminster broom. 
• This is a hybrid plant that usually grows up to 5 feet tall.
• They produce pale yellow flowers that bloom during early May.
• You have Cytisus scoparius as the next variety which is called a common broom.
• They grow up to 5 feet tall from May to June.
• The next variety is the goldfinch variety which has crimson and yellow with pink and yellow wings.
• They grow up to 5 and 7 feet tall.
• The Cytisus racemosus nana also called a dwarf yellow broom is used to grow about 5 feet in height and grows best in a container having a number of yellow flowers that bloom during spring to summer.

Genista Plant Varieties

• The second name of this plant is a Lydian broom.
• They grow up to 2 feet tall and spread 3 feet.
• They contain green arching stems that you will see are covered by golden yellow flowers.
• They used to bloom during May and June.
• The Genista hispanica is also Known as a Spanish gorse.
• They usually get a height of 3 feet and they can spread for at least 4 feet wide.
• You will observe a change in them in that they produce dense flowers during June and July.
• The last variety of this category is  Genista aetnensis which has another name Mount Etna broom.
• They used to grow over 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide having linear leaves with yellow flowers. They are used to bloom during July month.

Propagating Broom Plant

You have to learn that the broom plants contain deep branches with taproots. You can propagate the plants in the following ways:

• During July or August, you have to cut a 3-inch cutting.
• You need to do this when there is a semi-mature wood.
• You can use a sharp knife for this purpose.
• Pay attention not to cut them in the early stage because this will lead your plant to root rot issues.
• After taking the stem cutting you have to dip the bottom of the stem into the rooting hormone.
• Now sow the cutting in the pot. 
• The pot should be filled with moist and well-dried potting mix.
• The rooting will start growing during spring.

Conclusion

Sweet broom are shrubs that you can find in many different shapes, sizes, and colors as well. They have 30 different species, and each of them is famous for its qualities. You can find them in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They are attractive and you can easily grow them in your garden, this would be a great choice for you.

Many people consider the plant a noxious weed, it is an attractive plant with its pea-like golden yellow blooms and bright green compound leaves. The plant grows quickly and produces a nice airy bush with drought and cold tolerance. You can find a variety of colors, including yellow, white, pink, orange, and red.

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