Please help me figure out what kind of plant I’ve got here. I planted two of these out at my daughter’s house about three years ago. The one pictured is now about four feet tall and at least as wide. The other is smaller and has white and pink blooms. It stays green year round but is not like any shrub I’ve seen/felt before.The leaves are soft and not sharp.
I’d love to find some more but I don’t remember what the name or where I bought them. I’m hoping that one of y’all will know what this is…
A close-up of the flower(s) would probably be a big help in identifying this.
djm
OK, I’ll get one tomorrow.
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t wait to see the answer. It’s in one of my customer’s yards (that I visit every day delivering her mail). I’ve been waiting to see her so I can find out, but you know how it is…mostly everyone’s at work when their mail is delivered. It’s not heather, is it?
It’s very pretty, whatever it is.
It looks a lot like a shrub that looks like that only has yellow flowers.
♪ “Moses stood on holy ground
Fire from God descended round
Set the roadside bush on fire!” ♫ Oh! where did I put my banjo?
I think you are right!
The flowers and plant on your link look like the flowers on my plants! They are planted in clay topsoil and nothing much else has grown around this building. I think that it likes being up against the stucco/masonry wall facing west where it gets lots of sun and warmth. Last year I mulched them with compost and we had a terrible drought but they survived just fine. Hmm, the link implies that they are not picky about having good soil. I’ve got an excavated bank opposite the house(which was originally our winery) that might be a test spot for more of these things…
OH NO… now I’ve found that it is Cytisus Scoparius better known as Scotch Broom and is considered a “noxious weed” that is very invasive. Gee… maybe I better not plant more, the cattle wouldn’t appreciate it in their pasture since it supposedly is more than a bit toxic. I guess I better get rid of the seed pods that should come in a month or so. Crap.
The closest colour match I could find under Cytisus Scoparius is Burkwoodii. Does this really match?
djm
Yep. It matches the big one in my picture. The smaller one is more white and purpleish.
What you planted is probably a nursery variety of broom. It’s not invasive.
Scotch broom IS invasive (it’s a major problem here in California, where it’s also called “gasoline plant”…gives you an idea as to why we’re so unfond of it!), but there are several varieties that are hybridized particularly for home gardens, and they’re quite safe to plant. Given the color of the plant you’re showing, I’d say it’s a nursery variety…the wild ones are typically yellow.
Redwolf
The yellow (presumably species) variety of broom is considered invasive on the BC coast, too.
Yup…throughout most of the west coast of North America, I think. We’re particularly terrified of it, though, because we already have severe fire problems…and broom goes up like a torch (as does another invasive, introduced, species, the blue gum eucalyptus). In our area we get notices every spring to pull the broom on our property.
The nurseries even have hybridized yellow broom, which makes for a lot of confusion. Every year someone will write a letter to the paper, full of righteous indignation, because he saw “Scotch Broom” at a local nursery (it’s illegal to bring the wild variety into California), and every year the editor patiently explains that nursery broom is a non-invasive hybrid, and perfectly safe and legal for the nursery to sell. 
Redwolf
I remember seeing broom growing wild all along the logging roads in BC. It looks … interesting, but I can’t see why anyone would want to plant/introduce it to their garden as it is rather sparse looking.
There were lots of other interesting plants I came across in BC, like the arbutus trees, and a beautiful poppy-like flower that was an intense, glowing orange colour growing wild, and I really loved the California lilac.
djm
I suppose if you were a homesick 19th century scots immigrant, you might feel differently.
Are you suggesting we set fire to the homesick 19th century Scots immigrants? It’s a good thing I don’t care for plaid. 
djm
Have 'em hold a big bushel of gasoline plants and stuff 'em in the gas tank. 
I’m picturing their kilts billowing out and a big puff of black smoke … 
djm
OK, I feel better now that I can hope I have a hybrid. It has been there three years and hasn’t spread anywhere else. As promised, here’s more pictures of what I planted.
This is one of the few remaining blossoms on the smaller one- it blooms a bit earlier-
and a picture to give a better idea of their size-
I suppose if you were a homesick 19th century scots immigrant, you might feel differently.
Well my people were 18th century scots immigrants, so maybe that explains why I like these brooms? And I do have a kilt and all-a-y’all firebugs better back off or yah might get cut- there’s knives and such in all that gear…
It really is a very pretty flower. It would be a shame to see someone set its plaid knickers on fire.
djm