States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Scotch Broom

Cytisus scoparius

Found in roadbanks, woodland borders, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
4–8 feet
Spread
4–8 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Silky Willow
    Salix sericea

    Sun: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Moist to standing water. Flowers: Brown/copper, yellow or green.

    Similar spread, evergreen or deciduous, bloom season

  • Northern Highbush Blueberry
    Vaccinium corymbosum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

  • Pink Azalea
    Rhododendron periclymenoides

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink, purple or white.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Spring
Fruiting season
Spring to summer

County records are not available.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Cytisus

  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
  • Apamea sordensBordered Apamea, Rustic Shoulder-Knot
  • Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cytisus

  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow, pink or red
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Broom

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources