An attractive small yellow-flowering tree, easily distinguished from Common Gorse by its spineless stems. Also known as Scotch Broom.

Native across all of the north-western European mainland, and to Britain and Ireland where it is very widespread and found almost everywhere except the Midlands in Ireland.

Monoecious, hermaphrodite flowers. Insect-pollinated, mostly bees. Seed pods dry in heat, suddenly popping to release seeds (ballochory). A rare subspecies, Prostrate Broom Cytisus scoparius subsp. maritimus, is found in a few coastal areas of south-west England, Wales and Ireland.

Small (4m), shorter without supporting trees. Twigs green year-round, the deciduous foliage erect, angled and downy when young. Leaves trifoliate near the shoot base, single-leafleted and stalkless near the tips. Flowers pea-like (25mm), golden yellow, single or paired in leaf axils, vanilla-scented, in May. Seed pod (50mm) glossy black, margin-haired, held over winter.

Thrives in well-drained acid or neutral soils. Does not regrow if cut back to old wood. Cultivars are available.

Provides nectar and pollen to bees. Useful in ecological restoration, stabilising soils and fixing atmospheric nitrogen, improving soil fertility.

Generally healthy.

Ornamental. Several parts of the tree are toxic, containing the alkaloid sparteine.