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A native of the British Isles, it has been woven
into baskets and wattle-type fencing, and it has been
dried to make thatch roofs. The long, straight branches
of this tall (4-9ft/1.2-2.75m) perennial plant make great brooms. The leaves and tops give a yellow dye
very similar to that of weld, and it was also added to
beer for its bitterness and sedative qualities before the introducton
of hops. Its flowers don't make any nectar, but bumblebees love
its abundant pollen, which is triggered to shower them. They don't
seem to mind getting covered with it, and they busily carry it back
home. The blooms turn to hairy pods
that crack open loudly to release the ripe seeds, throwing them
up to 12ft/3.6 m. The leaves have been smoked for sedative effect, but this plant contains a strong
heart toxin (it's a traditional remedy for various heart ailments),
so don't ingest it. It is used in very small amounts in some historical
beers, and that kind of use is considered safe.
Witch's broom is also known as Scotch broom,
Banal, Basam, Besom, Bisom, Bizzon, Breeam, Browme,
Broom Tops, Brum, Genista Green Broom, Irish Broom, Irish Tops.
King's
Dispensatory on Broom Top
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Cytisus scoparius
Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:
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Cytisus scoparius
How
to grow it: Seeds
germinate best if they are scarified (file off a bit of the seed coat on
the end with a nail file) and then soak in a thermos of hot water for three
hours. Plant in sterile planting medium. About 50% of the seeds
will actually germinate; the rest will remain in the soil and germinate
over a very long period. Seeds are very long-lived and can be viable
in the field for 30 years and with good storage for 80 years. They
are often planted by ants. Broom can also be propagated from cuttings
once it is established. It likes dry, sandy soils and in its native
habitat takes heather for a companion. It can get over 3ft/.9m
the first year. Broom
is an aggressive plant that is considered a weed in some areas.
It can get really big, especially if it is confined (otherwise,
it gets lanky and floppy). Stems stay green in the winter; 1"/2.5cm
flowers bloom on old wood and turn into hairy pods. The plant
can take two years to establish a large root system and flower;
in the meanwhile, it will be grassy. It can be grown in partly
shady areas when it's young but needs full sun when it's larger.
An excellent anti-erosion plant because of its large root system,
it can grow in cold, dry, and stony places that other plants reject.
Because it's a legume, it can handle soil of low fertility better
than other plants can; that and its prodigious production of seed can cause
it to become a pest in optimal conditions.