# Spanish Broom (*Spartium junceum*)

Spanish Broom is a bright yellow flowering shrub that grows in sunny places. It has long, slender stems and is often found in gardens and along roadsides, adding a splash of color to the landscape.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Spanish Broom](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Spartium_junceum_%28habitus%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spartium_junceum_%28habitus%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Spanish Broom is a striking shrub with numerous slender, rush-like green stems that grow upright, giving it a somewhat bare appearance when not in bloom. Its fragrant, pea-like flowers are a brilliant, vivid yellow, appearing in clusters at the stem tips, making it easily distinguishable.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people used Spanish Broom's tough stems to weave ropes, baskets, and even make brooms!
- Its seed pods make a fun 'popping' sound when they dry out and burst open to scatter seeds!
- Spanish Broom can live for many years, sometimes even growing into small, woody trees over time!
- The sweet scent of its bright yellow flowers can travel a long way on the wind, attracting pollinators.

## Special abilities

- **Soil Booster:** This plant has tiny helpers in its roots that turn air nitrogen into food, allowing it to grow even in poor soils where other plants struggle.
- **Speedy Sprouter:** Spanish Broom can grow very quickly and produce many seeds, letting it spread fast and colonize new, open areas efficiently.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 150-500 cm
- **Spread:** 150-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish broom moth (*Uresiphita reversalis*) — Larvae feed on its leaves and stems.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Fixes nitrogen in its root nodules, enriching the soil.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [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.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [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.
- [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.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not eat any part of the plant, as it can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Spanish 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 Spanish Broom?

150-500 cm

### How wide does Spanish Broom spread?

150-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Spanish Broom?

2-3 cm

### When does Spanish Broom bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is Spanish Broom edible?

No

### Is Spanish Broom toxic?

Moderate

### What is Spanish Broom's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Vesuvius National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/vesuvius-national-park) — IT · Park

## 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: [Spanish Broom: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spanish-broom)