# needle-leaved broom (*Genista linifolia*)

The needle-leaved broom is a small shrub with long, thin leaves. It produces bright yellow flowers that look like little suns, making it a cheerful sight in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![needle-leaved broom](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Teline_linifolia.jpg&width=800)

Photo: A. Barra, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teline_linifolia.jpg)

## Appearance

The needle-leaved broom is a dense, upright shrub with slender, green stems and very narrow, needle-like leaves. It boasts clusters of vibrant, pea-shaped yellow flowers, creating a bright display that stands out against its foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Genista

## Interesting facts

- Broom plants were traditionally used to make actual brooms for sweeping! Pretty neat!
- Its cheerful yellow flowers really stand out against its green, slender branches!
- This plant helps prevent soil erosion, keeping hillsides from washing away!
- When its seed pods dry, they can loudly pop open, scattering seeds far away!

## Special abilities

- **Water Saver:** Needle-leaved broom has tiny, needle-like leaves that help it conserve water in dry environments.
- **Soil Enricher:** This broom's roots can add nutrients like nitrogen to the soil, making it healthier for other nearby plants.
- **Tough Pioneer:** Needle-leaved broom can thrive in very poor, rocky soils where most other plants struggle to grow.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-200 cm
- **Spread:** 50-150 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Domestic goat (*Capra hircus*) — Browses on leaves and young shoots.
- **Eats:** Common broom moth (*Uresiphita gilvata*) — Larvae feed on its leaves and shoots.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify needle-leaved broom?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is needle-leaved broom?

50-200 cm

### How wide does needle-leaved broom spread?

50-150 cm

### How big are the flowers on needle-leaved broom?

1-1.5 cm

### When does needle-leaved broom bloom?

Spring to Summer

### Is needle-leaved broom edible?

No

### Is needle-leaved broom toxic?

Mild

### What is needle-leaved broom's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Needle-leaved Broom: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/needle-leaved-broom)