''Argyrocytisus battandieri'', the pineapple broom
or Moroccan broom
is a species of
flowering plant in the
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
family,
, subfamily
Faboideae. It is the only member of the genus ''Argyrocytisus'' (formerly ''Cytisus battandieri'').
A native of
Morocco, it is a substantial
deciduous shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
growing to tall and wide, with trifoliate grey-green leaves, and erect
racemes of yellow flowers with a distinctive
pineapple scent. Grown in a sheltered location, it is hardy down to .
The cultivar ‘Yellow Tail’ has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society’s
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
.
It was introduced to the UK as recently as 1922, and for a long time was thought less hardy than plants have proved.
References
Genisteae
Monotypic Fabaceae genera
Taxa named by René Maire
{{Faboideae-stub