| Common Name: | Scotch broom |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Cytisus |
| Species: | scoparius |
| Classification/Rank: | Extremely Invasive |
| Method of Transportation: | Splitting seed pods can eject seeds up to 5 meters. Seeds can be spread on machinery and vehicles. Any disturbance activity can enhance spread. |
| Habitat/Range: | Escaped garden ornamental that can invade well-drained mineral soils that are exposed. Shade-intolerant. |
Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is an evergreen shrub up to 3 m in height. Stems are woody and generally five-angled. Pea-like flowers are found along the stems and are yellow, sometimes with a red marking near the center. Seeds are contained in dark, hairy pods.
Note: Gorse is also an evergreen shrub with yellow pea-like flowers and it looks very similar to Scotch broom, but Gorse is armed with rigid spines.
For more information or to report this plant contact the NWIPC at info@nwipc.org or call the Weeds Hotline at 1-866-44WEEDS. The Report-A-Weed application is also available for easy reporting from a Smart phone.
Land owners and managers have long recognized the need to control invasive plants to limit their impacts. In May 2018, a new smartphone app...
This will be of interest to those writing pest management plans or who work in the vegetation management field. Check out IVMA's website...
