Genista aetnensis
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| Species: | G. aetnensis
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Genista aetnensis or Mount Etna broom[1] is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is a large shrub or small tree endemic to Sicily and Sardinia where it is associated with sunny, open landscapes and poor, stony soil. It is a very common constituent of the garigue plant communities, Mediterranean shrubby vegetation, around the lower slopes of Mount Etna, hence its Latin specific epithet aetnensis.[2]
The young plant is typical of brooms, clothed in narrow linear leaves which soon drop off leaving almost bare branches. As it ages the shrub develops into a shapely small tree with a greenish bark, growing to 8 metres (26 ft) if given room to develop. The terminal branches have a tendency to droop and weep. Abundant pea-like, yellow, jasmine-scented flowers cover the whole crown in late summer.[3]
It is sometimes grown in gardens and landscaping, both for flower and for its attractive shape when mature. It is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F). In cultivation in the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4][5]
See also
- Brooms
- Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Media related to Flora of Mount Etna at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 184533731X.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ^ "Genista aetnensis". Retrieved November 29, 2012.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 42. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
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