Cytisus scoparius Roter Favorit

Cytisus scoparius 'Rote Favorit' is a unique variety with its alternate, abundant and brightly coloured flowering in late spring. This deciduous bush has a wild appearance, with green, slender, upright and trailing branches adorned with a nuanced mix of carmine red, dark red, and yellow papilionaceous flowers. This medium-sized bush is suitable for hedges, solitary planting, flower beds, rockeries, or containers. Easy to grow, it just requires pruning after flowering to prevent seed formation that depletes the plant. Plant it in a sunny location, in soil that is neither too heavy nor too rich.

Cytisus scoparius 'Rote Favorit' belongs to the large Fabaceae family. It is a compact and floriferous cultivar. Like all brooms, it is derived from Cytisus scoparius, a hardy but short-lived bush native to central Europe (up to Ukraine) and eastern Europe, widespread to North Africa. This species is found in dry places, on rather acidic and siliceous soils. 

'Rote Favorit', with a size of 1.5m (5ft) in all directions, develops a bushy, upright, fairly dense habit, but with a light appearance due to its small number of leaves. The flexible, arched, green-coloured stems bear deciduous, single, alternate leaves measuring 5 to 10mm (0.2 to 0.4in) in length. In May-June, papilionaceous flowers, 2cm (1in) in length, appear in shades of carmine red, dark red, and yellow. These pea-flowers bloom in clusters at the ends of the branches. They are followed by the formation of fruits that develop into black pods. The fruit pods can stain whatever they fall on, so prune the bush after flowering. The lifespan of this plant is relatively short, around 5 to 8 years.

'Rote Favorit' 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 many shrubs with staggered foliage or flowering: dwarf conifers (Juniperus horizontalis, Abies balsamea 'Nana', white spruces), a tree peony, a small lilac (Syringa microphylla 'Superba'), rosemary, or an evergreen ceanothus whose blue flowering will complement its flowers. Deciduous or evergreen spindle trees, shrubby salvias, and perennial geraniums compose beautiful, low-maintenance flower scenes in a wild garden.

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