Retama raetam is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to northern Africa from the Western Sahara to Sudan, Sicily, the Sinai Peninsula, the Palestine region and Saudi Arabia, and widely naturalized elsewhere.
White broom is highly disease-resistant and is generally not susceptible to illnesses. Regarding care, this plant is fairly low-maintenance. When grown outdoors it needs only minimal watering, and larger specimens typically do not require pruning. Smaller plants, however, should be pruned after they finish blooming. White broom is suitable for anyone with outdoor space, such as a garden or a deck, and does not require much care experience.
How to keep Genista Raetam.
Light
White broom grows best in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. Its native environment strongly influences this light preference, since it originates from a habitat with abundant sun. Both too much and too little sunlight can adversely affect the plant’s healthy growth.
Temperature
White broom demonstrates strong temperature adaptability, able to endure higher heat and wide temperature fluctuations. In hot conditions, care should be taken to water adequately and provide suitable shading to avoid sunburn. However, White broom is fairly sensitive to low temperatures; it can tolerate some cold, but very low temperatures can cause frost damage.
Fertilizer
The timing for fertilizing White broom is important. Apply fertilizer in early spring and continue every month until early summer. Fertilizer encourages attractive blooms and supplies energy during both dormant and active growth periods.
Botanical profile.
- Plant Type
- Shrub
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Genus
- Genista
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Hardiness Zone
- 9
- Mature Height
- 1.83 m to 2.44 m
- Mature Spread
- 1.83 m to 2.44 m
- Leaf Color
- Green, Gray
- Leaf Type
- Evergreen
- Flower Color
- White
- Flower Size
- 2.54 cm
- Bloom Time
- Early spring, Mid spring
- Planting Time
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Harvest Time
- Late spring, Early summer, Mid summer
Other names.