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Scotch Broom

Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is an invasive perennial shrub six to ten feet tall. Its sharply angled branches generally have five green ridges with hairs on them when young; as the branches mature the hairs fall off, and the branches become tan and lose the distinct ridges. Pods have hairs along the seams only. One or two golden yellow pea-like flowers cluster between the leaf base and stem. About half the photosynthetic (green) tissue is in the leaves and half is in twig tissue. Sometimes this species is confused with French broom (Genista monspessulana), which has pods with hairs all over them, stems that are not ridged or green, and more than eighty-five percent of its photosynthetic tissue in leaf tissue.

Found along the California coast from Monterey north to Oregon border, Scotch broom is prevalent in interior mountains of northern California on lower slopes and very prevalent in Eldorado, Nevada, and Placer counties in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is also reported from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. It is common in disturbed places, such as river banks, road cuts, and forest clearcuts, but can colonize undisturbed grassland, shrubland, and open canopy forest below 4,000 feet.

Scotch broom currently occupies more than 700,000 acres in California. It displaces native plant and forage species and makes reforestation difficult. It is a strong competitor and can dominate a plant community, forming a dense monospecific stand. Seeds are toxic to ungulates. Mature shoots are unpalatable and are not used for forage except by rabbits in the seedling stage. Foliage causes digestive disorders in horses (Parsons 1992). Since Scotch broom can grow more rapidly than most trees used in forestry, it shades out tree seedlings in areas that are revegetated after tree harvest. Scotch broom burns readily and carries fire to the tree canopy, increasing both the frequency and intensity of fires (Parsons 1992). This species is difficult to control because of its substantial and long-lived seedbank.

As with other broom species, the best method for removal of a Scotch broom infestation depends on climate and topography, age and size of the infestation, importance of impact to non-target species, and type, quantity, and duration of resources available to remove and control broom at the site. All methods require appropriate timing and follow-up monitoring. Because of the seedbank, monitoring removal sites to locate and kill new seedlings is essential. Location and retreatment of resprouts is also necessary. Sites should be examined once a year, when the seed germination period ends in late spring, for five to ten years and every two years thereafter.

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