The month of May in the Iberian Peninsula is the month in which the broom begins to bloom, enlightening the wild fields with its innumerable yellow flowers. But the broom is also a plant that we can have in our garden, especially if we live in an area with a dry and hot climate, since the broom is a typically Mediterranean plant and, as such, it is used to withstanding droughts and severe heat. of the summers of these latitudes.
Types of broom in the Iberian Peninsula
In the Iberian Peninsula there are two predominant types of broom:
- White broom (Retama monosperma): typical of the southwest area. Its flowers are white. It is widely used to fix very sandy soils, such as dunes.
- Yellow broom or common broom: it is the most widespread in our country. Its scientific name is Retama sphaerocarpa. It is a shrub that can reach 3 meters, although it is preferable to prune it, so that it grows more leafy.
Characteristics of the yellow broom
The yellow broom is deciduous, so in winter it will not decorate our garden at all, but it is worth having some just to enjoy the explosion of yellow flowers that it takes place in spring; its flowering is so spectacular that in the fields where there is wild broom it is common to see people cutting their flowery poles to make bouquets that will adorn their houses.
This plant does not pose any problem to the type of soil in our garden; it adapts easily to everything, not in vain it is a country plant. What it does like is the sun, so it is advisable to find a sunny corner, although in the shade it will also thrive (perhaps it will not bloom as profusely). It is important to remove the dry branches, which is the only thing that can make them ugly when they grow in the wild.
The yellow broom is a plant that has fallen into oblivion, but until not so many years ago it was widely used: it was used to make brooms and also as fuel in the old bakery ovens since, with its combustion, the oven it reached high temperatures quickly.
