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. tinctoria ‘Royal Gold’ – Dyer’s Greenweed – Common Woadwaxen – This upright, deciduous shrub grows 3′ feet tall and 3′ feet wide. It has no spines. It produces narrow, elliptic-lance shaped or inversely lance shaped, bright, deep green leaves, to 2″ long. From spring to early summer it bears golden yellow, pea like flowers, in conical panicles, 3″ long.
Zones 2-8
