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Genista monspessulana
Also called French Broom, Cape Broom, Canary Broom, Soft Broom
Genista monspessulana, commonly known as French broom, Montpellier broom, or Cape broom (Australia), is a woody leguminous perennial shrub. The yellow-flowering bush is native to the Mediterranean region, and while it may still be commonly sold in some garden stores, it is considered an invasive plant in most places where it has been introduced. It is a noxious weed on the western coast of the US and in parts of Australia.
The leaves and seeds contain alkaloids which are poisonous to many large domestic animals.
G. monspessulana and related plants are common in European shrublands. French broom was originally distributed throughout Mediterranean Europe and northwest Africa, the Azores, and the Canary Islands. Due to its lower tolerance for frost than other broom species, it is common in warmer, lower elevation areas. It is found on coastal strips and in sunny inland areas, and does best with plentiful rainfall and sandy soils.
Thorny Broom · Mt. Etna broom · Petty whin · Genista berberidea · Canary broom · Genista corsica · Floriferous Greenweed · Genista germanica · Spanish Gorse · Mediterranean broom · Genista lydia · Hairy greenweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Genista monspessulana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
