French Broom
Genista monspessulana = Cytisus monspessulanus
Description
French broom is an upright evergreen shrub that can grow to ten-feet tall. The round stems are covered with silvery, silky hair, and the leaves are small and arranged in groups of three. The surfaces of the leaflets are sparsely to densely covered with flattened, short, silvery hairs. The small, yellow flowers are pea-like and clustered in groups of four to ten. The inch-long pods are covered with hair.Habitat
Coastal plains, mountain slopes, grassland, open canopy forest, and in disturbed places such as river banks, road cuts, and forest clear cutsDistribution
Western Oregon (abundant along southwestern coast), WashingtonImpacts
Degrades habitat quality for wildlife by displacing native plant species and altering microclimate conditions at soil levels, increases intensity and frequency of wildfires, poisonous to livestockDispersal Methods
Prodigious seed production, animals, ants, birds, river water, rain wash, mud, road grading or maintenance machineryPrevention
Look for French broom in disturbed areasListings
ODA's B ListFactsheets
Photos
Distribution Map
Identification Help
Other Links
Element Stewardship Abstract from The Nature Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Initiative