Common Name
English broom, Common broom, Scotch broom, Spanish broom
Scientific Name
Cytisus scoparius
Family
Fabaceae
Lifecycle
Perennial
Seasons of Growth
Scotch Broom flowers from late spring to early summer, with seed pods maturing in summer. The seeds are explosively ejected from the pods on warm, sunny days.
Key Distinguishing Feature
Leaves: Narrow-elliptic to oval, with silky hairs on young leaves. Flowers: Bright yellow, pea-like, about 2-2.5 cm long, occurring singly or in pairs. Pods: Brown to black, pea-like, up to 7 cm long and 1.3 cm wide, containing 5-22 seeds.
Scotch Broom is an erect, deciduous shrub that can grow up to 4 meters high. It has five-angled branchlets, and its leaflets are narrow-elliptic to oval, with the terminal leaflet being longer than the side leaflets. Young leaves are often silky hairy on both surfaces but can sometimes be hairless. The plant is characterized by bright yellow, pea-like flowers and brown to black pea-like pods that have hairs confined to the margins. Each pod can contain up to 22 seeds.
Methods of Control
Physical Removal:
- Hand-pulling: Suitable for small plants and seedlings. Ensure complete removal of roots to prevent regrowth.
- Mechanical Removal: Slashing and grubbing can be effective. Specialist equipment is recommended to break stems and shatter roots.
Chemical Control:
- Glyphosate (360 g/L): Foliar spot spray application, using 100-130 mL per 10 L of water.
- Picloram + Triclopyr + Aminopyralid: Suitable for spot spraying, with rates of 250-350 mL in 100 L of water.
Biological Control:
- Scotch Broom Gall Mite (Aceria genistae): Effective under favorable conditions, potentially causing shrubs to die.
- Twig Mining Moth (Leucoptera spartifoliella): Has minimal impact.
- Scotch Broom Psyllid (Arytainilla spartiophila): Did not establish well in Australia.
- Seed Beetle (Bruchidis villosus): Impact in Australia is not well known, but effective in New Zealand.
- Grazing: Sheep and goats can graze on Scotch Broom seedlings, helping to suppress regrowth. Large plants can be cut to provide better grazing access.
- Fire: Controlled burns can be used in combination with other methods, although follow-up treatments are necessary to manage regrowth.
Additional Images
Related products
