Flower profile
French broom
Genista monspessulana
French broom (Genista monspessulana) is a shrub in the Fabaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–May across the U.S.
French broom is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Genista monspessulana, commonly known as French broom, Montpellier broom, or Cape broom (Australia), is a woody leguminous perennial shrub. The yellow-flowering bush is native to the Mediterranean region, and while it may still be commonly sold in some garden stores, it is considered an invasive plant in most places where it has been introduced.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9,175 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #100 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in February–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records french broom in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Oregon, Washington.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Kern, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Plumas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Cytisus monspessulanus, Teline monspessulana.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 27 counties across 2 states; the most are in California (20), Oregon (7).
More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GEMO2.
- iNaturalist, Genista monspessulana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Genista monspessulana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Genista monspessulana (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dave West via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.