logo Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Taxon  Report  
Cytisus scoparius  (L.) Link
Scotch broom,   Scotchbroom
Cytisus scoparius is a shrub that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: high
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
(7987 records)
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Genus: Cytisus
Family: Fabaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Moderate
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
JEFCytisus scoparius var. andreanus
JEFCytisus scoparius var. scoparius
Information about  Cytisus scoparius from other sources

Scotch Broom Removal (YouTube): Oregon State University Extension Service

Scotch Broom Smack Down!: Oregon State University Extension Service

FEIS: DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE: "Scotch broom was introduced to California as an ornamental in the 1850s, was widely used for roadside erosion control in the early 1900s, and was recognized as a problem in California in the 1930s"

[Wikipedia] Europe native: Cytisus scoparius (syn. Sarothamnus scoparius), the common broom or Scotch broom, is a deciduous leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)

[Cal-IPC] Invasive: Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom) is a perennial shrub (family Fabaceae), which grows in sunny sites with dry sandy soil, and spreads rapidly through pastures, borders of forests, and roadsides. Cytisus scoparius can be found from the coast to the Sierra foothills. This weed crowds out native species, has a seedbank that can remain dormant for up to 80 years, diminishes habitat for grazing animals, and increases risk for wildland fires. Cal-IPC Rating: High (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 06/04/2023).