We see the brilliant yellow patches everywhere in June - scotch broom along roadsides, each year in more and larger patches.
Some love the colour and scent, others loathe it, but what matters is that it is a highly invasive and dangerous plant. Invasive is a designation given to only a few plants, ones that threaten to overwhelm native habitats or agricultural land. These plants are so successful, they wipe out other plants and the animals that depend on them. Scotch broom is blooming now, but the seeds haven't yet formed - it's the perfect time to cut them down. It is safe to dispose of the plants in our green waste depots, but not in home composts. Pulling or digging the plants is less effective than cutting them down. Work parties at the botanical farden site are doing their bit; let's all help control broom in our neighbourhoods.
Paddy Wales
Roberts Creek
