One of My Favorite Aliens

 Scotch Broom always brings out my curmudgeonly tendencies.  I suppose that's because I find myself liking a plant that I know is widely hated.  In some neighborhoods, it has the same affect as liking President Obama.  Cytisus scoparius is in the Legume family, now known as Fabaceae.  I saw the frist one of the season blooming on the East side of Highway 70 near the FRC turnoff.  I parked on the West side and jogged over to investigate.

 Scotch Broom has a wonderful fragrance.  To me, it smells like peaches.  It's fun to compare notes with other people's noses.  The flowers are beautiful, too.  The plant has an interesting history in relation to people where it is a native species, mainly Western Europe, and, of course, Scotland.  Check out the article in Wikipedia.

 I first learned about this plant when I lived in Sierra County years ago.  Between Downieville and Nevada City there are some very large patches on the roadsides and you can see why it is considered an "invasive" species.  When I lived in Leggett, in northern Mendocino County, the state park people considered it a big problem.  I remember a couple of times helping to manually remove lots of them from the Standish Hickey State Park and neighboring roadside on Highway 101.  While I was doing my duty as a good citizen, I was secretly enjoying how the black seed pods of Scotch Broom literally explode when ready and shoot their seeds quite a distance.  The exploding pods sound like popcorn, or maybe a giant cracking his knuckles.

 I can agree with removing this plant when it poses a problem to the native ecosystem, but not doing it out of hatred and using poisons.  I use the word 'alien' in my title as a reminder that I don't like to see field guides using this word for non-native species.  Alien has too many bad connotations.

My favorite field guides use 'non-native'  and I think that conveys the necessary information without stirring negative feelings.  Next time you see some Scotch Broom, take a closer look, and even a smell.  Just be careful where you park.  This plant by the college turnoff is in an unsafe spot for daydreaming flower lovers.