Cytisus battandieri

Scents are powerful joggers of memory and a place in time. Competing with the heavy lingering scent of Philadelphus at this time of year is Cytisus battandieri an outstanding shrub with loose growth habit. Planted against a south facing wall at the Alpine area, catching the sun the terminal flower cluster glows yellow. Complimented by a silvery sheen of the young leaf growth, add in the most delicious and wholly believable scent of pineapple and you realise this is a plant that should be more widely grown.

Native to North Africa, found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco this plant flowers reliably. Seed has been collected from plants growing at 1500m and higher near Jebel Hebri. The raceme is tubular 110mm long with a diameter of 50mm. Composed of multitudes of individual pea shaped flowers. Needing shelter from the most severe winters a well drained soil is the prerequisite for successful establishment and continued growth.

Cytisus battandieri

Once flowering has finished, be ruthless, prune back all the long lanky growth to a framework. By midsummer these shoots can extend by half a metre. Neglect this for a year and yes, you will have flowers but the plant soon becomes unmanageable especially if wall mounted.

Don’t expect longevity, source seed, and grub out after 10 -15 years of growth.