![]() If the sweet broom is scraggly, you should reduce its feeding by half. Fill 1 gallon of water with 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer and fill it halfway with water once a week during spring and early summer. Sweet broom must be grown in temperatures ranging from 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the fall and winter to bloom. Sweet brooms thrive in conditions that would cause many other shrubs to fail due to their fragrant, fast-growing foliage. The plant is used as an ornamental shrub and for erosion control. Sweet broom grows to about six feet tall and has small, yellow flowers that bloom in the spring. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has been introduced to other parts of the world, including North America. Scotch Broom causes substantial timber revenue losses and costs a lot to control – somewhere over $40 million a year in Oregon alone.Sweet broom (Cytisus x praecox) is a perennial shrub that is part of the pea family. This tolerance makes herbicides less effective during certain times of the year. Once established, the plant is very drought tolerant. Treatments include manual removal, chemicals, burning (hot), shading through planting, and some biological options ( Bruhidius villosus, exapion fascirostre, and Leucoptera spartifoliella). The only way to control this plant is through repetitive and ongoing treatments. Seeds will germinate after a ‘cooler’ fire (depending on the temperature of the fire). Seed remain viable in the soil for decades and any disturbance can cause the seed to germinate. Seeds stock pile over time until destroyed or germinated. The plant is a prolific seeder and can release 20,000 or more seeds per plant every year. ![]() The broom is one of the most flammable plants there is and poses an enormous threat to our community’s fire safety. Even green, the shrubs will cause a fire to erupt. It creates a high fire hazard frequency and intensity. It is one of the most flammable plants there is and poses enormous threat to communities. These thick dense stands will also prevent normal reforestation and regeneration processes and drive many native species out by shading, increasing soil acidity, and toxicity.īroom increases fire hazard frequency and intensity. ![]() They will become so dense that even quail cannot live there. These stands are unpalatable and somewhat poisonous to wildlife. What makes it so bad?īroom regenerates quickly, forming dense stands. Once in place it is very difficult to get rid of and control. This plant has earned its weed status well by aggressively invading many areas. They both grows in similar conditions, and cause similar problems, but are different species. Scotch broom and Gorse are sometimes confused (Gorse is very stickery). All have a nice yellowish bloom similar to a pea. You may notice different bloom seasons, lighter color flowers, height differences, and more. ![]() The ranges for Scotch, Spanish, French, and Portuguese broom overlap. There is more than one type of broom and more than one type lives on the Oregon Coast. More than just oneĭoes it seem like the Scotch broom blooms more than once a year? Well, it does, kinda. Today, broom is considered a pest throughout most of its range. It didn’t take very long for Scotch broom to become an international superstar pest. It probably seemed like a great idea at the time. In the early 1900’s, broom was planted to prevent soil erosion along Pacific Coast highways. It is native to much of Europe and Africa where natural predators for the plant evolved. In addition, Scotch Broom roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria which help the plant colonize nutrient-poor soils. Utility functions included hair rinse, leather tanning, sweeping brooms, thatched roofs, rope, beer flavoring, yellow dye, and a substitute for hops, capers, and coffee. Modern medicines provide safer alternatives): Heart problems Medical ailments treated included ( Note: This weed is poisonous. But, broom may have been imported for its wide variety of medical and utility functions. History indicates that broom was imported as domestic sheep fodder. Scotch Broom was introduced in the US in the early 1800s. ![]() OK I made up the evil part, but the more you know about Scotch Broom the more you might agree. Scotch Broom is a perennial shrub with lovely yellow pea-like flowers, dark green stems, and evil on its mind. ![]()
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