Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
Sister Rosie Scotch Broom adds fireworks of color and texture to dry, sunny gardens with its wiry stems and pea-shaped flowers. The kaleidoscopic flower petals are dappled in hues of red, pink, yellow, and white. Scotch Broom bursts with color in the spring, as these small, multicolored flowers bloom in abundance along the wiry stems. Tiny leaves grow along these stems following this prolific bloom, adding a unique textural element to the landscape. Scotch Broom can be invasive in the Northwest and is not recommended for this area. However, it is the perfect low-maintenance option for hot, dry, and sunny sites in Zones 5-8.
Scotch Broom is a very deer resistant shrub, so you may want to add several to your garden if you get a lot of hooved visitors. It is also drought-, heat-, and salt-tolerant. This is the perfect shrub for dry areas of your landscape that don’t get a lot of upkeep. Try it with other spring-blooming, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants, including bulbs. Sister Rosie is a Scotch Broom variety that outperforms others in color, bloom, and texture. This is a truly unique and special plant with a striking appearance. There are no others quite like it!
Sister Rosie® Scotch Broom Care
As long as you plant your Sister Rosie in a place that gets full sun (at least 6 hours) and has very well-drained soil, you won’t have to do much to take care of it. It likes low-fertility soil, and does not require fertilizing. Although a bit of well-balanced fertilizer upon planting will get it off to a good start. If you are in Zone 5, it is even more important to plant it in a place with well-draining soil in order to keep it happy through the cold winter.
There’s not much you need to do for pruning, either. However, if the wiry stems start to look scruffy, a little trim after the spring bloom will tidy it up.
Sister Rosie® Scotch Broom Spacing
Sister Rosie Scotch Broom is a medium-sized shrub that grows up to 36” tall and 36” wide at maturity. If you are planting it as a specimen or focal point in your landscape, you’ll want to give it room to shine; plant it 36” away from other plants. If you’re using it in mass or as a border plant, give closer to 24” of space.
Sister Rosie® Scotch Broom Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 5 to 8 (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Full Sun (6+ Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 2-3 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 2-3 Feet
- Growth Habit
- , Upright
- Water Needs
- Dry
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , Pink, Red
- Flower Description
- Pink, Red, White
- Bloom Time
- Late Spring
- Blooms On
-
Old Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Right after flowering
- Foliage Color
- Foliage Description
- Green
- Foliage Type
- , Deciduous
- Seasonal Interest
- , Spring Flowering
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- Sister Rosie® Scotch Broom
- Botanical Name
- Cytisus scoparius 'SMNCSDRY' USPP 30,176
- Brand
- Proven Winners
- Plant Type
- Shrub
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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This plant cannot be shipped to the following states: CA, ID, MD, MA, MT, OR, UT, WI, WA, AK, HI. These restrictions apply only to this specific plant due to agricultural regulations or other limitations. Other plants may still be available for shipping to these states.
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