Scientific Name:
Genista pilosa
Pronunciation:
jih-NIS-tuh pih-LOE-zuh
Common Name:
spreading broom
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Plant Type:
Ground cover, Semi-evergreen
Key ID Features:
Prostrate ground cover with dense, wiry shoots; leaves alternating on ridged green stems, mostly oblanceolate (may appear linear when margins curl together), 6-11mm long, silver hairs on underside; flowers bright yellow and 'pea-like', May-July.
Habit:
Dense, Horizontal, Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like, Mounded
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
B.C. west of Cascades, Europe, Garden origin
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Group or mass planting, Rock garden, Small garden/space, Spring interest
Additional Info:
Google (much flatter growing and more likely to keeps leaves over winter compared to G. lydia). Cultivars shown include G. 'Vancouver Gold'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Acute
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr
Fruit Type:
Legume
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jun
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Tan, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Root nodules (N-fixing), Runners (or stolons), Storage tap root
Propagation:
Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Mildew, Scale insects (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- Level 2 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (AGB) Acer Griseum Bed : q.5 - replanted in 2018
- (HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : 671