Broom in Bloom

I’ve previously written about how much I enjoy the beautiful wildflowers we have see on our hikes and bike rides. There is one that is not a wild flower at all, but an invasive species weed.

Scotch broom, when not in bloom, is ‘just another green weed’ that we see along the roadsides, hiking and biking trails. multiple shades of green we see everywhere.

This plant was introduced from the Mediterranean and is an escaped garden plant in Canada. It easily invades sunny, disturbed sites such as rangelands, roadsides, and areas of recent logging. Scotch broom can increase the intensity of wildfires, obstruct sightlines along roads, and crowd out native plants that animals depend on. A mature plant can live up to 25 years and produce seeds that can survive in the soil for 30 years..

And when you read how invasive it is, it makes one a bit sad because when it’s in bloom, it’s quite spectacular, adding vivid patches of yellows to the many shades of green that we always enjoy. So I am enjoying this “Broom in Bloom” splashes of yellow because I can’t pull it all out.

We had a great hike the other day where we saw Broom in Bloom but it had other nice scenes as well. We were grateful for those with chain saws that could clear away the blow down of the large trees that we see everywhere.