From a Modest Tangle of Green Sticks in Winter, Cytisus Leaps into Life in Late Spring, Suddenly Dressed in Yellow, Cream, Pink or Red.

Clouds Of Pea‑Flowers In Late Spring

When broom comes into flower, it doesn’t do things by halves. In late spring and early summer, the wiry green stems are smothered in pea‑shaped blooms, often in shades of yellow, cream, gold, orange, red or bi‑colour combinations. From a little distance, the whole shrub can look like a cloud of colour hovering above the border. In many UK gardens the flowering show lasts several weeks, especially in good light and free‑draining soil. For a relatively small, easy shrub, the impact is impressive – the kind of display that makes neighbours lean over the fence to ask what it is.

  • Clouds Of Pea‑Flowers In Late Spring
  • Happy On Poor, Dry, Light Soils
  • Light, Airy Structure That Won’t Dominate

Cytisus at a Glance:

Common name: Broom.

Latin name: Cytisus.

Size in UK gardens: Typically 1–2m tall and wide, depending on variety; some compact forms stay nearer 80–100cm, while a few older types can reach around 2.5m over time.

Best position: A sunny, open spot with good air flow and free‑draining soil; ideal for banks, gravel areas, mixed borders and lighter ground.

Soil: Prefers light, well‑drained soil, including sandy or stony ground; dislikes heavy, poorly drained clays and boggy spots.

Flowering time: Usually late spring to early summer (often May–June), with flowers borne all along the previous season’s stems.

Fragrance: Some hybrids have a light scent on warm days, but many are grown for colour rather than perfume; fragrance is usually modest.

Hardiness: Generally hardy in most UK gardens once established, particularly in sunny, well‑drained positions; very wet or waterlogged winter soils can cause losses.

Care level: Easy if you can offer sun and drainage; needs light, timely pruning after flowering and doesn’t like being cut back into old wood.
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Cytisus Care at a Glance:

Planting time: As container‑grown plants, Cytisus can be planted in most months when the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged; spring and early autumn are usually easiest, giving roots time to settle before extreme heat or cold.

Watering: Water regularly in the first season so the rootball and surrounding soil don’t dry out completely, especially on very light, sandy ground. Once established in the right spot, broom is quite drought‑tolerant and usually needs little additional watering.

Feeding: Broom is not a hungry shrub. In most gardens, an annual mulch of compost or well‑rotted organic matter around, but not against, the stems is enough. Avoid heavy feeding, which can encourage soft, sappy growth at the expense of flowers.

Pruning: Prune straight after flowering, lightly shortening the current season’s growth and shaping the plant without cutting back into old, bare wood. This keeps it compact, encourages new flowering shoots and helps prevent it becoming leggy.

Winter: In the ground, established Cytisus usually needs no special winter protection beyond its mulch and sensible siting on well‑drained soil. Container plants are more exposed and may appreciate a sheltered spot in the coldest weather.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Cytisus battandieri

A real conversation piece, carrying soft grey-green leaves and dense, upright flower spikes that look like little golden cones. The scent is the delight—warm and fruity, famously reminiscent of pineapple. It brings an exotic, sun-baked feel and a bold splash of colour in early summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many brooms reach around 1–2m in height and spread, which is quite manageable in a typical UK garden as long as you allow that space from the outset. They’re not “thugs” in the way some vigorous shrubs can be, but if squeezed into a tiny, overcrowded border they may look leggy as they struggle for light. Choosing a compact variety and planting in a sunny, free‑draining spot with a bit of breathing room usually works very well in modest plots. If space is extremely tight, consider one of the smaller hybrids or use Cytisus in a raised, well‑drained bed where its natural shape can be appreciated.

Timing is crucial. Broom flowers on shoots produced the previous year, so the best time to prune is immediately after flowering in late spring or early summer. At that point, lightly trim back the spent flowered growth by up to about one third, cutting just above leafy side shoots and shaping the shrub. This encourages bushy growth that will carry next year’s flowers. Avoid cutting into old, bare wood, which may not reshoot. Regular light pruning keeps the plant compact and floriferous; very hard cuts into woody, leafless stems are usually not successful.

Full‑sized alders are really trees for gardens with some space, but smaller species or selected forms can work in more modest plots if you think carefully about siting and long‑term size. Young trees or dwarf types may be kept for a time in a very large container with a good loam‑based compost, provided you water and feed them regularly. In the long run, though, they are happier in open ground. In a smaller garden, it is often better to use Alnus as a single, carefully positioned specimen or as part of a boundary planting rather than close to the house.

You can grow broom in a container for a number of years, provided you give it the sharp drainage and sun it enjoys. Choose a reasonably large pot with good drainage holes, fill it with a free‑draining compost (a loam‑based mix with added grit works well), and stand it in a bright, open position. Water when the top of the compost begins to dry, but don’t let it sit permanently soggy, particularly in winter. Feed lightly in spring and prune just after flowering, as you would in the ground. Over time, as the shrub matures and the root system fills the pot, it may be happier planted out into a sunny border or raised bed.