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Spartium junceum - L.

Spanish Broom

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 17, 200
Family	Leguminosae	Genus	Spartium
Synonyms	Genista juncea - (L.)Scop.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S. Europe to N. Africa. Naturalized in S. Britain[17].
Habitat	Dry situations amongst rocks and in bushy places, usually on limestone soils[45, 148].
Edibility Rating	0 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 3.5m by 3m at a fast rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge;

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Diuretic; Emetic; Purgative.

The young herbaceous tips of flowering shoots are harvested in spring, generally in May[4]. They can be used fresh or dried and are cardiotonic, cathartic, diuretic, emetic and purgative[4, 7, 89]. The seeds can also be used[4]. The plant is an efficacious and potent diuretic[7]. This plant is 5 - 6 times more active than the medicinally similar Cytisus scoparius and should be used with caution since large doses are likely to upset the stomach and cause purging[4].

Other Uses

Basketry; Besom; Dye; Essential; Fibre.

A fibre from the stems is a hemp substitute[148]. It is used to make thread, cordage and coarse fabrics[4, 7, 11, 61, 89, 160, 169]. It is also used for stuffing pillows etc and for making paper[46]. The smaller stems are used in basket making[7, 46, 61, 89, 160]. The branches are often made into brooms[7]. A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[7, 89, 148, 169]. An essential oil is obtained from the flowers, it is used in perfumery[46, 61]. 1200kg of flowers yields 300 - 350gr absolute[46].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers have a fragrance that has been likened to oranges[245].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained but not too fertile soil in a sunny position[200]. Prefers a lime free soil according to one report[1] whilst another says that it thrives on alkaline and poor sandy soils[200]. Very wind resistant, tolerating maritime exposure[166, 200]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[200] and thrives on hot dry banks[11, 166]. A very ornamental plant, it is hardy to between -10 and -18°c when in a suitable position[200]. The flowers have a fragrance that has been likened to oranges[245]. Plants can become leggy if grown in a sheltered position or too rich a soil[200], but they can be pruned almost to the ground and will resprout from the base[K]. They can also be trimmed in early spring in order to keep them more compact[188]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance, they are best grown in pots and planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small[11]. Plants often self-sow in Britain[1]. Rabbits love eating this plant when it is young[1, K]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak 24 hours in hot water and sow February/March in a greenhouse. It usually germinates well and quickly[78, 200]. The seed can also be autumn sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If sufficient growth is made, it is possible to plant out in the summer, otherwise overwinter them in a cold frame and plant out in late spring of the following year.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Fiber Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[45] Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980 ISBN 0-19-217626-9
A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[160] Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987. 0
Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Spartium junceum

Mon Nov 26 02:50:09 2001

SPANISH BROOM IS A PROCLAIMED PEST IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Spartium junceum

Frederic Bendali Wed Jun 27 2007

In Greece the Spartium junceum is not at all linked with limestones.

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