Moroccan Broom, The Pineapple Broom, Cytisus battandieri

This is a fabulous flowering shrub, which can be trained as a a small tree, a wall shrub or a freestanding bush.

The most important thing is to position it in a very sunny position, all the afternoon sun, as this is the hottest part of the day.

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It won't do well in heavy soils, as good drainage is essential.

As the name implies, it comes from Morocco, therefore it is used to lots of warmth and stony soil.

It holds most of its leaves during the winter and offers these wonderful, pineapple fragrant flowers in the summer.

Ideally try and position it is somewhere you would sit and enjoy the fragrance that is created by this wonderful plant.

You can buy it, although the trained to be either a small tree, or a wall shrub.  Obviously if you're going growth against the wall or fence, then it would be sensible to choose one that is facing south and west, as to ensure you have maximum flowering opportunity.

If it is grown as a tree, then expect about 15 feet high in 10 years.  You can prune it to keep it down in size.

If it is grown as a wall shrub, then it will require you to tie it back, especially in the autumn, to prevent winter damage, the plant naturally as a lax habit.

There is an elegant form of it called Cytisus battandieri Yellow Tail, which has longer flowers.

It is not the best of plants, in garden centre and nursery pots, but it soon fills out once you've planted it in open ground.

In my opinion this is a wonderful plant, and it should definitely be used, more often.

I hope you find room for one in your garden and it is even more impressive, if you can give it a contrasting background.

Good luck!!

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