Spanish Gold Broom
Spanish gold broom is an evergreen shrub with a dense mound of upright green stems. The flower color in spring is remarkable! The flowers look like pea blossoms and are a very bright golden yellow. Its straight stems and tiny leaves create a fine texture in the landscape. When not in bloom, it serves as a good background plant for other shrubs, flowers and grasses.
Spanish Gold broom seems to be hardier than other brooms in the Colorado Springs area. It is adaptable to different types of soil and does well in low water zones.
Spanish Gold Broom
Spanish gold broom is an evergreen shrub with a dense mound of upright green stems. The flower color in spring is remarkable! The flowers look like pea blossoms and are a very bright golden yellow. Its straight stems and tiny leaves create a fine texture in the landscape. When not in bloom, it serves as a good background plant for other shrubs, flowers and grasses.
Spanish Gold broom seems to be hardier than other brooms in the Colorado Springs area. It is adaptable to different types of soil and does well in low water zones.
Plant details
Botanic Name
Cytisus purgans
Pronunciation
SIT-is-us PUR-gans
Mature Height
2 to 4 ft.
Mature Spread
4 to 6 ft.
Water usage
One Droplet: Water twice per month or less, once established.
Two Droplets: Water about once per week, once established.
Three Droplets: Water about twice per week, once established.
Flower Color
gold
Bloom time
April to May
Colorado Native
No
Natural Habitat
mountains of Spain
Light Requirements
sun, part shade
Cold Hardiness
USDA zones 4-9
Elevation Limit
hardy to 8,000 ft.
Performance
There are four Spanish Gold brooms planted at the Xeriscape Garden. In spring, the eye-catching flowers cover the plant. The rest of the year, the upright green stems form a tidy mound. One mature plant has experienced branch dieback. They perform best if watered once per month during the winter, since their natural habitat has rainy Mediterranean winters.
Maintenance
It's important to winter water Spanish Gold broom monthly from November through April. Because it originates from a Mediterranean climate with wet winters, it will die back if it gets too dry before spring arrives. Minimal to no other maintenance is required.
See in a landscape
Xeriscape is notzero-scape. Even if you'd like to use rock mulch for your yard, there are plenty of plants that grow well with the extra heat. Rock mulch can be great for areas with high winds where wood mulch may not stay put. Rock is used throughout this landscape, and is planted with trees, shrubs and perennials that can tolerate the extra heat. This yard has a slight slope, so a small rock wall was installed in order to flatten out the planting area near the front door. This also helps add dimension and break up the large space.