Botanical name: Spartium junceum    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)

Spanish broom is a tall shrub up to 10-12 feet tall. Its long, slender stems are erect with few branches. Stems are cylindrical and green when young. They mature into woody branches with bark. Mature plants have 1 to several trunks. Oval leaves are small, 0.5-1 inch long. Leaves are ephemeral, remaining on the plant for 4 months or less. The inflorescence is an open raceme at the end of branches, with several flowers located on current-year shoots. Flowers are large, pea-like, up to 1 inch long, and grow on short stalks on both sides of the main stem. Fruit is a linear legume, 2-4 inches long and 5 mm wide, with 10-15 seeds. Spanish broom is native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe, southwest Asia and northwest Africa, where it is found in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils.

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The flower labeled Spanish Broom is ...