Genista stenopetala


Genista stenopetala, the sweet broom, Easter broom or leafy broom, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to the Canary Islands, on La Palma and Tenerife.

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet stenopetala means "with narrow petals".

Description

It is an evergreen shrub growing to tall. The leaves are trifoliate, the leaflets long, narrow elliptic, coated with fine silky, silvery hairs. The strongly scented flowers are yellow, long, produced in racemes long. The flowers appear in late winter or early spring. The fruit is a pod long.
Under the name Genista × spachiana, it has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is not a hardy plant, and does not tolerate temperatures below, so in temperate climates it is usually grown under glass. However, it may be placed outside during the summer months, in a sheltered, sunny spot.