Genista

Yellow pea-like flowers, on shrubs, trees and some herbaceous perennials, with small, often trifoliate leaves, sometimes spiny. Give them full sun and a well-drained soil. Few trees beat the graceful nature of the Mt. Etna broom, Genista aetnensis.

With masses of scented yellow flowers, all Genista species are important forage plants for and pollinated by honeybees and bumblebees, although a few other potential pollinators are observed as well. There are several natives, all rather short, and many non-natives including the soaring, cascading G. aetnensis, a plant that is occasionally found in the wild in cities and warm coastal localities. A large number of moths (mostly micromoths) larvae and those of green hairstreak butterflies feed on the native species, along with many weevils and other insects, and at least a proportion of these are likely to be able to feed on non-native forms.