Description
Genista – Chamaespartium – Echinopartum – Teline – Broom –
There are about 90 species of mainly deciduous, sometimes spiny shrubs and occasionally trees, which may appear evergreen because of their flat green branchlets, in this genus. They occur in pastures and moorland to cliffs and rocky places in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Western Asia. They have alternate, simple or 3 palmate leaves, usually to ½” long, sometimes more, but may be nearly leafless. They are grown for their small, fragrant, pea like yellow flowers, held singly or in terminal racemes or dense heads. Grow as specimen plants, or in a shrub border or rock garden.
Grow in light, poor to moderately fertile, well drained soil in full sun.
Prone to dieback, powdery mildew and scale insects.
G. delphinensis – Chamaespartium sagittale subsp. delphinense – G. sagittalis subsp. delphinensis – This low prostrate, deciduous subshrub from the Pyrenees grows 6″ tall and 12″ wide. It produces few, downy, lance shaped, mid green leaves, softly hairy beneath, and winged green stems that the plant a leafy, evergreen appearance. In late spring and early summer it bears small, golden flowers, to ½” in diameters, are carries in spike like, axillary and terminal racemes, to 1 ½” long.
Zones 5-8
