Description: The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has tools to lend which make it easier to remove Scotch Broom from their property. Scotch broom should be removed because it is a highly flammable non-native plant and it also displaces native and beneficial vegetation. A photo ID and deposit check are required to borrow the tools.One shrub can produce thousands of seeds after two years of growth. Removal of and by the roots is the only effective method to fight this plant in long term. Uprooting the plant as it first sprouts from the ground is the best; as durable root systems make it more difficult to remove older plants.Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) was introduced to the United States as an ornamental and was used as packing material on sailing ships during the Gold Rush era. Scotch broom impedes forest production, forms dense stands which impede movement of wildlife and livestock, and it degrades habitat. Scotch broom usually reproduces by seed which can live in the seed-bank for over 80 years. One shrub can produce thousands of seeds (up to 15,000) after two years of growth. Scotch broom can tolerate a wide range of environmental and soil conditions which makes it a durable pest.
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