Family: Fabaceae Genus: Genista  

Species: florida L.

Common Name(s): broom, Spanish gorse, French gorse, Florida gorse; (Spanish) escobón, retama de olor, retama de florida, genista olorosa

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Genista florida, commonly known as broom, is distributed across the Iberian Peninsula, and is especially abundant in the center and north of Spain. This scrub plant can reach up to three meters in height. It prefers dry, acidic and nitrogen-poor soils and typically grows in degraded forests, clearings, and heaths.

Fables, Folklore, and Mythology

Tradition holds that a blooming broom plant meant heavy snow was in the forecast. Also, this plant was traditionally placed in household windows on June 23rd, the eve of the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, to ward off evil spirits and bring blessings to the household.103,104

Cultural Significance

The Genista florida likely influenced the naming of the royal house of Plantagenet which ruled England from the mid-12th century to the late 15th century. The family name “Plantagenet” originates from the nickname “Plante Genest” (i.e., from Genista), which was bestowed upon Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and father of King Henry II of England, the first monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty. Geoffrey earned this nickname by adorning his helmet with a sprig of yellow broom flowers.

Traditional Medicine

Broom has been used to heal wounds in the hooves of cows, donkeys and oxen, as well as to cure sheep’s scratch or scabies. This remedy is prepared by cooking star thistle (Centaurea ornata) roots with chopped white-tanned branches and leaves of broom, and applying it to the affected area.105

Other Colorful Uses

Not surprisingly, this scrub plant has been used to make brooms. It has also been used to light ovens, to serve as roofing material for farmhouses and buildings, to make furniture and household items, and to make dyes. Shepherds even used broom to make their beds.106