# Spiny Broom (*Calicotome villosa*)

The Spiny Broom is a bushy plant with sharp thorns and bright yellow flowers. It grows in sunny places and is great for helping the soil stay healthy.

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

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

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

## Appearance

The Spiny Broom is a dense, upright shrub with numerous stiff, thorny branches. It boasts bright yellow, pea-like flowers clustered along its stems, contrasting sharply with its dark green, trifoliate leaves. Its formidable spines make it easily distinguishable.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people used its thorny branches to make traditional brooms!
- In dry places, Spiny Broom thrives by finding deep underground water!
- Its seeds can sleep for years, only waking up after a wildfire!
- Its sunny yellow flowers often smell like coconut or vanilla!

## Special abilities

- **Thorn Shield:** Spiny Broom has sharp, woody spines that protect its leaves and branches from hungry animals.
- **Soil Strengthener:** Spiny Broom can grow deep roots that hold soil firmly, preventing it from washing away.
- **Air Fertilizer:** Spiny Broom partners with bacteria to turn air's nitrogen into plant food, enriching the soil.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-200 cm
- **Spread:** 100-200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Common Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium Bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Forms nodules on roots to fix nitrogen.

## 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.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [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.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Be careful around the Spiny Broom because its thorns can poke you.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Spiny 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 Spiny Broom?

100-200 cm

### How wide does Spiny Broom spread?

100-200 cm

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

1-2 cm

### When does Spiny Broom bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Spiny Broom edible?

No

### Is Spiny Broom toxic?

Mild

### What is Spiny 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: [Spiny Broom: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spiny-broom)