Genista tinctoria (Common Woodwaxen)

Small, bright yellow pea-like blooms adorn this deciduous, spreading shrub. Form is spiky, twiggy, and spreading. Flowers and young shoots can be used to make a high-quality yellow dye. The Plantagenet kings and queens of England got their name from the Latin term planta genista, which is also the name of the genus. The term "specific epithet" refers to the dyeing process. Dyer's broom gets its name from the fact that the young shoots and stems of some of the higher plants in the genus were previously tied together for use as sweeping brooms.