February Weed of the Month: Common Broom

Home Weed-of-the-Month, WeedsFebruary Weed of the Month: Common Broom

February 1, 2026• Weed-of-the-Month, Weeds• Samuel Leininger

The month of February is commonly associated with love and romance. We cut out paper hearts for Valentine’s Day cards and deliver cut flowers for that special someone in our lives. But there is another reason to celebrate. February 14th is also Oregon’s birthday! Way back in 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state. So consider giving a birthday gift to Oregon, by controlling our February Weed of the Month, common broom!

Why Should I Care about Common Broom?

Common broom (Cytisus scoparius), also known as Scotch broom is one of the most damaging weeds in Oregon. An analysis of the economic impact of noxious weeds in Oregon found that Common broom alone results in a loss of $39.5 million in personal income to Oregonians. Unfortunately, as a class B noxious weed Common broom is a relatively widespread invasive weed in our area.

Originally introduced as an ornamental shrub, Common broom is now one of our most widespread weeds.

It is easy to see what Common broom was originally introduced. It is an attractive evergreen shrub, with many slender, erect, dark green branches with small leaves up to half an inch long. At maturity, it grows from 3 to 8 feet in height. From late April through early May, it is covered with bright yellow, pea-like flowers. The flowers mature into flattened seed pods that contain up to a dozen seeds each. Dried pods will crack and pop open in mid-summer and eject the seeds spreading them further.

How is Common Broom Invasive?

Common broom is an opportunistic and prolific invasive plant. A single plant can produce over 20,000 seeds a year that can last in the soil for estimates as long as 80 years!

Common broom easily invades disturbed sites, natural areas, and forest lands. This noxious weed displaces native and beneficial plants and smothers tree seedlings, hampering reforestation efforts. It causes loss of grassland and open-forest habitat.

Flowers and seeds are toxic to humans and most animals. Common broom is also highly flammable and can dramatically increase wildfire intensity and frequency.

How Can I Control Common Broom?

Common broom can be controlled by various methods depending on the severity and the location of the infestation. For small infestations, plants can be pulled or dug. Large plants can be cut between flowering and seed production. Large plants generally won’t resprout following cutting, but it is typical to see a flush of new seedlings following the removal of large Common broom stands. When removing plants, avoid putting any plants with seed pods in compost or yard waste as they can potentially spread plants further. Instead, plants should be bagged and disposed of as trash.

If you feel enamored by the ornamental qualities of Scotch broom, we recommend looking at non-invasive alternatives with similar yellow blooms for spring color. In celebration of Oregon’s birthday, we can’t help but recommend the Oregon state flower, Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium).

The false spring we often experience in February is a great time to control Common broom by pulling. Moist soil makes it easier to pluck young broom plants out of the ground. For older, more mature plants, we recommend trying one of the tools from our Weed Equipment Library. These tools are available for use at no charge to landowners in Clackamas County. Please be sure to contact us to check in on availability and to reserve your tool today.