Broom Busters is a group of local residents dedicated to clearing Scotch Broom from our environment.
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) is an invasive perennial first introduced to Vancouver Island in 1850. Since then it has spread rapidly throughout the island, to the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast. A member of the legume family of plants it is a nitrogen fixer for the soil, featuring feather stems and cheerful yellow flowers each spring. Unfortunately, the following attributes place it firmly on the list of invasive plants: it grows rapidly in poor soil displacing indigenous plants; the aggressive nature of its spread threatens biodiversity, plants can produce up to 60 seed pods per bush (10 seeds to a pod); seeds can remain viable for over 80 years; it has no local predators; the plant contains toxic alkaloids and should be considered poisonous; its short life cycle creates scrubby and oily forest fire tinder and the pollen is a severe allergen for many people.
Scotch broom is well established along the roadways, in parks and around former logging sites of the Sunshine Coast. Thanks to the efforts of the Sargent Bay Society and the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society this noxious weed has been virtually eliminated in Sargent's Bay and at the Sechelt Marsh. Broom Busters are calling for your help in ridding more areas along the coast of this aggressive invader. They will hold a Broom Busting blitz along Redrooffs Road, April 28 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information on how you can help call Mary Beth Knechtel at 604-741-9846.
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