Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Scorpion broom
Genista scorpius (L.) DC.
Family: Fabaceae
0.3 to 1 m tall, spiny shrub
Garrigue, dry banks, rock gardens, poor soils
Flowering: March – May
Full sun
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its stems end in genuine sharp spines, not to be confused with the spineless brooms. Scorpion broom has spiny stems and a low, cushion-forming habit, whereas dyer's greenweed has flexible, spineless stems and a more upright habit.
🍃 Leaves
Small, deciduous, few in number, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Small bright yellow flowers, butterfly-shaped
🍎 Fruits
Small flat pods
🪵 Bark
Grey-green stems ending in rigid spines, forming a low, cushion-like habit.
🗺️ Distribution
Western Mediterranean; found in chalky garrigue in southern France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Honey-rich yellow spring flowers, visited by wild bees.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Rarely planted in gardens, found mainly in natural garrigue; sometimes used for restoring dry banks.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Seeds slightly toxic if eaten, as in other brooms.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Scorpion broom
Genista scorpius
Dyer's greenweed
Genista tinctoria
Scorpion broom has spiny stems and a low, cushion-forming habit, whereas dyer's greenweed has flexible, spineless stems and a more upright habit.
🌿 Other Fabaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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