Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Cytisus scoparius
Scot's broom
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Distributed widely throughout much of Washington, especially in lowlands west of the Cascades crest; Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana; also in eastern North America.

Habitat: Widespread noxious weed, usually where somewhat moist.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:
General:

Deciduous shrub up to 3 m. tall, the branches strongly angled, pubescent to glabrous.

Leaves:

Leaves alternate, trifoliate at the base of the branches, becoming simple above, the leaflets obovate and entire.

Flowers:

Flowers usually solitary in the leaf axils, on long pedicels, yellow or purplish-tinged, pea-like, 2-3 cm. long; calyx cup-shaped, bilabiate, the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower 3-lobed; stamens 10, 4 longer that the other 6; style strongly curved, longer than the keel.

Fruits:

Pods flattened, glabrous except for the villous margins.

Accepted Name:
Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link
Publication: Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 2: 241. 1822.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Cytisus scoparius in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Cytisus scoparius checklist entry

OregonFlora: Cytisus scoparius information

E-Flora BC: Cytisus scoparius atlas page

CalPhotos: Cytisus scoparius photos

42 photographs:
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