Spiny broom

During its peak flowering period, the spiny broom colours entire mountain slopes yellow. This legume is woody, highly branched, bushy in appearance and has branches with sharp thorns. The younger twigs are covered with fine hairs. The leaves are trifoliate and the flowers are usually solitary but sometimes grouped in small inflorescences. The fruits are legumes containing between 2 and 9 seeds. It grows in garrigue, rocky places and areas affected by fire. It forms impenetrable, dense thickets and is particularly important for combating soil erosion, fixing nitrogen and accumulating organic matter, which prepares the soil for the establishment of more evolved plant communities. It was once used to clean chimneys and made into bundles for ovens.