GENISTA monosperma (=Retama monosperma)

Wonderful but messy evergreen shrub which can grow 3 meters tall and large. It is native to Turkey, but it has spread spontaneously throughout the Mediterranean basin. It's characterized by thin branches without leaves, which are lignified at the bottom, while showing an herbaceous consistency in the upper parts. Between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, branches fill up of fragrant white flowers with a brown center. Considering the excellente resistance of the cut flower, it is very used in the nurseries world.

Rustic and vigorous plant, it needs a sunny position to produce richer blooming and a poor, sandy and well-drained soil. It benefits from periodic summer irrigations even if it tolerates drought quite well. At the end of blooming a light pruning could be made in order to remove old and dead branches with the aim of improve the messy look of this plant. It has a very beautiful ornamental effect in parks and gardens, either if it is used as single specimen or associated with other plants in order to form an unusual green barrier.