Genista
Broom, Woadwaxen
Also known as Chamaespartium
- Height × spread
- 0.3m – 5m × 0.5m – 5m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Generally available in late Spring & early Summer
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
There are around 90 Genista species, but only a few are grown in gardens for their ornamental value. The cultivated forms range in size from the Mount Etna broom (Genista aetnensis) that can reach 5 metres in height and is stunning when in flower, to ground-hugging forms that are half a metre high or less such as Genista pilosa. They nearly all have yellow pea-flowers that are freely borne in late spring or summer. Their foliage is sparse with tiny leaves, and they often appear to consist of innumerable slender stems. They all love sunshine and well-drained soil, preferring neutral to acidic conditions, though they tolerate most soils. The white broom, Genista monosperma, is now renamed Retama monosperma. The genus Cytisus is somewhat similar in appearance.
- Flower colour
- Yellow
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Fruit colour
- Black
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, some varieties
- Shape
- Dome, Fan, Prostrate
- Height
- 0.3m – 5m
- Spread
- 0.5m – 5m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Scented garden, Rock garden, Mediterranean garden, Gravel garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, some are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Wall cover, Ground cover, Structural, Coloured stems, Architectural, Bee attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- Yes, some stems are prickly/thorny
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Spring - early · Planting
Prune new growth
Prune in early spring being careful only to prune wood that has been grown in the previous season of growth. Dead branches and misplaced or awkward branches can be removed in their entirety.
Planting & general
Outdoors
Feed & mulch some rose varieties differently
To keep roses healthy and produce more flowers, feed during the growing season before and after flowering. Roses in containers should be fed more often than those planted in the ground, every two weeks from mid spring to late summer. Adding a mulch around the base of a rose will trap moisture and enrich the soil as it biodegrades.
Found in
More Genista
Genista hispanica
Spanish gorse, Spanish broom
Genista lydia
Lydian broom
Genista 'Porlock'
Broom woadwaxen
Genista aetnensis
Sicilian broom, Mount Etna broom
Genista pilosa 'Procumbens'
Silkyleaf woadwaxen, Hairy greenwood
Genista tinctoria
Dyer's greenwood, Common woadwaxen, Dyers broom
Genista maderensis
Madeira broom
Genista tinctoria 'Royal Gold'
Dyer's greenwood, Common woadwaxen, Dyers broom