Cytisus purgans

Perennial shrub of the Fabaceae family, Cytisus purgans is native to the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, and northwestern North Africa. In France, it is particularly present in the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, and the causses, where it occupies high-altitude heathlands, rocky grasslands, windswept ridges, and sunny slopes on siliceous or slightly acidic soils, between 800 and 2,200 meters in altitude.

It forms a dense, highly branched bush, with erect and striated branches, of a dark green almost glaucous color, reaching 30 to 80 cm in height. The leaves are reduced to very small simple leaflets, quickly deciduous, so that the plant appears almost leafless most of the year, with photosynthesis being carried out by the green stems.

The flowers are solitary or grouped in twos or threes at the axils of the branches, of a bright and pure yellow, intensely fragrant. In full bloom, the entire bush is covered with a remarkable golden mantle, visible from afar in the open high-altitude landscapes.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July depending on the altitude. In cultivation at low altitude, it occurs earlier, from April.

As its name suggests, the plant was used in traditional medicine as a vigorous purgative; its internal use is now discouraged due to its toxicity.

In cultivation, it requires well-drained, poor, dry soil, in full exposure. It is resistant to cold and drought, but does not tolerate heavy and calcareous soils well. A light pruning after flowering maintains a compact habit.