Winged Broom, Arrow Broom
Genista sagittalis

Family: Leguminosae

What it is like

Genista sagittalis is a deciduous Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.9 m (3ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It can fix Nitrogen. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Dry grasslands, open forests, hillsides and mountain slopes from central Belgium south to southern Spain and east through the Balkans to Greece. Western European broadleaf forest, Atlantic mixed forests and conifer and mixed forests (Pyrenees and Alps). It is also known to occur in mixed forests and montane forests.

Native Range: Southern and central Europe

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Countries/locations it is found in

Albania; Andorra; Austria; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czechia; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Luxembourg; North Macedonia; Romania; Serbia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Ukraine.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

A good high density groundcover. Nitrogen Fixer. Location: Border, Ground Cover, Mass Planting, Rock Garden, Wildlife Garden, Woodland Garden. A very hardy, mat-forming plant for the rock garden. Invertebrates shelter: beneficial for insects and other arthropods. Nectary: provides nectar or pollen for beneficial insects.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Ground Cover: Ground Cover

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

A prostrate, very hardy, sometimes spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree that forms a wide mat of flattened, upright stems. It requires full sun and a very well-drained soil. Soil: Sand, Chalk, Loam. In the wild, it often grow on limestone but in cultivation, it is not too particular about soil pH as long as it is not too acidic. pH: Acid, Alkaline, Neutral. Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered. Upper elevation limit:2,700 metres. Lower elevation limit: 0 metres. Blooming Period: April in the south to July in the north. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A clumping mat former. Forming a dense prostrate carpet with a limited spread.

Propagating it: Seed: Easy. Cover seed and germinate at 55-65F/13-18C. Chipping and soaking may aid germination. Do not transplant. Cuttings taken in summer, or by simple layering. Tip cuttings about 3-6 cm may be taken in mid-summer and rooted in a mist chamber or shaded frame.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 3-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Winged broom, arrow-jointed broom, hare's foot greenweed

Synonyms

Chamaespartium sagittale (L.) P.E.Gibbs. Chamaespartium sagittale (L.) P. Gibbs. Cytisus sagittalis (L.) Koch. G. delphinensis Verl. Genistella sagittalis (L.) Gams. Genistella sagittalis subsp. delphinensis (Verl.) P.Fourn. Genistella sagittalis subsp. sagittalis. Pterospartum sagittale (L.) Willk.