Other Names:  syn. Genista monosperma, Spartium monosperma

Description:

A large garden shrub with a fine weeping habit; covered in white flowers from late winter until mid-spring, followed by tan pods; thrives well in dry, poor soils; leafless most of the year; an interesting border or container plant

Ornamental Features

Bridal Veil Broom features showy fragrant white pea-like flowers with purple calyces along the branches from late winter to mid spring before the leaves. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage which emerges grayish green in spring. The narrow leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruits are showy tan pods displayed in mid summer. The smooth gray bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Bridal Veil Broom is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a rounded form and gracefully weeping branches. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Invasive
• Self-Seeding

Bridal Veil Broom is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Bridal Veil Broom will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.

Bridal Veil Broom makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.