How To Grow a Scotch Broom Shrub
Scotch broom is a shrub plant that came to the United States from Europe. Its scientific name is cystisus scoparius. The plant is a deciduous shrub and was grown in coastal California to minimize beach erosion.
Growing scotch broom plant in your garden is easy. But you will need to consider a lot of other things when you decide to grow scotch brooms. It is important to weigh the cons and pros of planting them.
Select a sunny spot to keep your scotch broom plant in. Scotch brooms needs good sunlight to help them grow and bloom. To grow the plants choose soil of pH 4.5 to 7.5. Scotch broom plants love sandy and dry soil. It is the ideal condition for them to grow in. This is the main reason they were planted on the California coast to avoid soil erosion.
The scotch broom plants grow up to a height of 4 to 6 feet. It is a good idea to have the plant in the background of other smaller plants.
Scotch brooms require regular watering. But take care not to water the plant too much. Watering once a day, preferably in the morning, is ideal for scotch broom. Unnecessary amount of water can cause the plant to wither.
The scotch brooms are normally bloom in late spring or during the first half of summers. Hence they bloom typically between March and May. It is best to plant the seeds for scotch brooms during the January-February period. This will ensure that the seeds grow into full-fledged shrubs by mid-March at least.
Scotch brooms might look good in your gardens but there is an ongoing debate between many gardeners whether it is worth planting them. The reason is that the scotch blooms are invasive in nature. They are also poisonous and hence need to be kept away from the reach of children and pets. It is necessary to wear gloves when handling the plants. Bare handling can lead to irritation and mild allergy of the skin. The plant catches fire very fast, is inflammable in nature and is the leading cause of rapidly spread forest fires.
