There are very few shrub-type plants that, when they bloom, offer a great view to the eye. Those who have had the opportunity to see first-hand the plant whose name is florida genistayou will know what you are talking about. However, despite the places where this species usually lives and / or grows, it is not well known by the vast majority.
If you don’t know the florida genistaIt does not matter, since throughout this article we will describe the most relevant and interesting details of this plant, so that you can know what it is like.
Place of origin and general data
The florida genista is the scientific name given to a shrub that belongs to the family of legumes. Although it is also known vulgarly under the names of piorno, genista, white broom, escrobón, among others. The names will vary depending on the region you are in.
This is how the origin or native place of the plant does not belong to North America, as suggested by part of its scientific name, but rather has European origin. It can also be seen in high places in Africa, part of Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region.
Of all the plants belonging to the genus genista, this specific plant is in charge of representing the entire family very wellsince it adapts easily to the places and high areas of the Sierra del Hoyo de Manzanares.
Features florida genista
Its colorful yellow color once it has flowered is one of its most important characteristics, apart from the large space it can occupyand in general, this plant usually grows mainly between the spaces of the rocks.
And although they grow more than everything in these places, it is very rare to see a shrub of this plant covering a lot of ground. However, and despite the fact that his favorite place is the spaces between the rocks, they can also grow on flat ground and that is where they look the most leafy.
To be more specific and in terms of the height that the plant may have, it is normal for this figure to be between 1300 meters above sea level. Inclusive can survive without any problem at maximum altitudes of up to 2000 meters. In the Sierra del Hoyo you can see quite a lot of this type of bush.
Something quite peculiar about this species in particular is that compared to other of its congeners, the florida genista does not have thornsalthough from afar it may give the impression of having them. The truth is that what looks like thorns from afar, are rather the buds that contain the flowers so characteristic of the plant.
On the other hand, the white broom can be so abundant that it can even achieve a maximum height of three meters, being very rare to see this plant together with others of the same speciescreating a large bush.
With regard to its flowers, it must be remembered that these have a yellow appearance and are quite small. But despite being quite small, each cluster of this shrub can have up to 10 flowers. This is thanks to the fact that the clusters are long enough to house this amount of flowers.
An important fact to highlight about this plant is that has seven different types of variations. So don’t worry if you decide to search the internet for this plant under the name of white broom.
In theory it remains the same, being as well as depending on the variation, the color of your flowers will changeand just as there is the yellow florid genista, there are also white, red, purple, orange ones.
The stems have a dull green hue, almost that they acquire a gray color, and just after the stems are its branches that as you can imagine, these are quite elongated and somewhat curved. It should be noted that the plant generates a few apical stems.
Being direct at this point, the florida genista It has several pods that contain about 2 to 6 seeds for each one. The length or size of these is between 1 and 1.2 cm in length, and in terms of their leaves, they are alternate and have an elongated oval shape.
Uses
Although the genista is a rather peculiar species of shrub thanks to its very showy and characteristic flowers, the plant has some practical uses. The first of them is that it has medicinal properties that allow the plant to be used as a method to lower fever, and deal with some mild respiratory problems.
Previously, part of the plant was used to increase the temperature in the ovensas well as being used as brooms for sweeping. Obviously these uses are already in history, but a few people continue to give these uses to the plant.
On the other hand, and perhaps the most important use for some nature lovers, is that this plant can be planted and grown in gardens and orchards. In such a way that it fulfills an ornamental function perfectly.
Cultivation and care
As for the maintenance and care methods that the species needs, the good news is that there are not as many as they seem, so its maintenance is easy. Of course, an important factor when planting this type of shrub is the climate and the environment.
As such, the plant needs to have a place where the sun hits them directly, although this does not limit them from growing and living in semi-shady areas. Nevertheless, can tolerate up to a certain timeso it is best to have them under constant sun. In case you want to plant the genista in your garden, we recommend that you do it during the summer or spring.
As a final data and perhaps the most relevant for you at this time, is that the more sunlight the plant receives, the greater its flowering. Of course, make sure that the soil where you plant this shrub is firm and that it is constantly kept moist. You can easily do this by watering it constantly when it’s hot.
