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French Broom


Scientific name: Genista monspessulana


Family: Fabaceae or Pea


Blooms: Mar–May


Plant Height: < 3 m


Origin: Mediterranean


Habitat: Chaparral, woodland, disturbed areas


About: This is one of the most aggressively invasive plants found on the Monterey Peninsula. It forms a large, spreading shrub that has small, oval, evergreen leaves and a profusion of bright yellow flowers. Mature seed pods burst open, scattering seeds over a wide area. It is estimated that a mature plant can produce 8,000 seeds in a single season. Young plants are easy to pull up when the ground is soft, but eradicating it is extremely difficult, and requires great persistence over a prolonged period.

https://montereywildflowers.com/%20fabaceae-broom/