Spanish Broom Spartium junceum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- SPAR-tee-um JUN-kee-um
- Description
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Spanish Broom, is a deciduous, flowering, perennial, shrub, multi-stemmed and sparsely-leaved, growing to 10 feet in height and width. Often grown as an ornamental because of its flowers, it is winter hardy and can be grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. It cannot grow in the shade. It has good drought tolerance as well as a tolerance for seaside exposure and can grow in poor rocky soils where it has been applied as a riverbank cover.
Spanish Broom is typically found in dry areas, open woodlands, disturbed sites, and along roads in the Mediterranean area. It is primarily grown for its bright yellow flowers and cylindrical green stems with flowers appearing in showy racemes. When the leaves fall away In late spring, summer shoots are covered in profuse fragrant yellow pea-like flowers. In late summer, seed pods mature and burst open, often with an audible crack, spreading seed from the parent plant.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No known insect or disease problems. It is aggressive due to self-seeding and has been known to escape gardens and naturalize.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Spartium
- Species:
- junceum
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Has been used as a potent diuretic. Should be used with caution since large doses are likely to upset the stomach and cause purging.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southwestern Europe, Mediterranean, and the Azores.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- drought and salt tolerant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Broad
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Flowers are followed by flat seed pods (each to 3 inches long).
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Fragrant bright yellow flowers that bloom from July to frost are borne in loose terminal racemes. Flowers to 1 inch long are pea-shaped and bloom from July to frost.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Sparse, entire leaves, long slender green branchlets. Leaves to 1 inch long are bright green, small in size, quite sparse in number and ephemeral (each leaf lasts about 4 months).
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- Young stems are rush-like, bright green and basically leafless. Older stems will develop a woody bark. Stems branch at the top. Considerable photosynthesis occurs in the young green stems.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Erosion
- Problems:
- Weedy
