Cytisus scoparius Palette

Cytisus scoparius 'Palette' is a variety of broom with a remarkably colourful flowering, with each small flower displaying a beautiful palette of red, orange, yellow, peach, and lilac-pink tones. The bush forms a beautiful upright and dense tuft, covered with slightly scented flowers in late spring or early summer. With rapid growth, broom can be grown in a large container or in the ground, in light and sandy soil, but without excessive limestone. Plant it in a large rockery, in a border, or on a sunny slope.

Cytisus scoparius 'Palette' belongs to the large Fabaceae family. Like all broom bushes, it originates from Cytisus scoparius, a hardy but short-lived shrub native to central and eastern Europe (up to Ukraine) and spread to North Africa. This species is found in dry places, on rather acidic and siliceous soils. It is cold-resistant, and tolerant of salt spray and salty soils.

'Palette' reaches about 1m (3ft) in all directions at maturity, sometimes up to 1.5m (5ft) if planted in rich soil. It develops a bushy, upright, and fairly dense habit, but with a light appearance due to its thin stems and sparse small leaves. The flexible, arched, green stems bear simple, alternate leaves measuring 5 to 10mm (0.2 to 0.4in) in length. They are deciduous and fall quite quickly in spring. Flowering occurs in May-June, with multicoloured and slightly scented papilionaceous flowers measuring 2cm (1in) in length. These pea-flowers bloom in clusters, mostly at the top of the branches. Pollinated by bees, they give way to flat, black pod-like fruits. The fruit pods can stain whatever they fall on, so prune the bush lightly after flowering. The lifespan of this plant is quite short, around 5 to 8 years.

It deserves to be seen in spring. Plant it near the house, on a large slope, or in the centre of a shrub bed. It can be planted with numerous foliage shrubs, spring-flowering, or staggered-flowering plants: a tree peony, a small-sized lilac (Syringa microphylla 'Superba'), baptisias, an abelia, or a small white spirea (Spiraea 'Grefsheim'), whose flowering will temper its abundance of multicoloured flowers. Deciduous or evergreen small euonymus, shrubby salvias, and perennial geraniums create beautiful maintenance-free flower scenes in a wild garden.

Tips: After pruning, use the cut stems to make good garden brooms.