Spartium junceum
Spanish broom
Overview
Spartium junceum is an upright, broom-like shrub in the pea family growing 6-10 feet (1.8-3 m) tall and wide, with stiff, cylindrical, rush-like green stems that stay green year-round and carry out most of the plant's photosynthesis. The small narrow leaves are short-lived and quickly drop, leaving the bare green stems. From late spring into summer the stem tips bear loose spikes of bright golden-yellow pea flowers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long that carry a strong sweet fragrance. Flat seed pods 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long follow, turning black and splitting open with an audible snap to scatter the seed. All parts, especially the seeds, contain cytisine and related alkaloids and are toxic to people and animals if eaten. Native to the Mediterranean, it is drought- and heat-tolerant and grows on poor, dry, rocky ground. It has naturalized and become invasive in California, Australia, South Africa, and other dry-summer regions, where it crowds out native plants on roadsides and slopes.
Native Range
Spartium junceum is native to the Mediterranean Basin, across southern Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia, growing on dry, sunny slopes, rocky hillsides, and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Planted in dry, mild-winter regions for fragrant summer flowers, erosion control on banks, and tough sites with poor soil, though it is now avoided or banned where it has become invasive. The nitrogen-fixing roots and drought tolerance suit it to reclaiming dry, disturbed ground. The flowers are fragrant and draw bees through summer.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6' - 10'
Width/Spread6' - 10'
Bloom Information
Fragrant golden-yellow flowers open from late spring into summer, generally May to August, over a long season. The strong sweet scent and bright flowers draw bees, which trip the spring-loaded flowers to release pollen. Seed pods ripen and blacken through late summer and split open to scatter seed.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Spartium junceum grows in full sun on poor, dry, fast-draining soils, including sand, gravel, and rocky ground, at a pH of about 6.0-8.0. It withstands heat, wind, drought, and salt once established and needs no summer water in a Mediterranean climate. The nitrogen-fixing roots let it grow on lean soils without fertilizer. It is frost-tolerant only to about 10F (-12C) and grows in USDA zones 8-11. Because it self-seeds heavily and spreads into wild land, it is removed or avoided in regions where it is invasive. Plants are cut back after flowering to limit seed set and keep a dense shape.Pruning
Pruning is done right after flowering, cutting back the green stems to shape the shrub and reduce seed production. Hard pruning into old leafless wood is avoided, as the stems resprout poorly from bare growth. Removing spent flower spikes before the pods ripen limits self-seeding.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer