Question
For the last two years my sweet broom "genista racemosa" has been doing great. Last year it grew like crazy. This spring it is brown and very dry. Is it dead or should I give it a few weeks?
I am in zone 7 - OKC

Thanks for your help!

Answer
Genista Racemosa aka Cytisus spachianus aka 'Sweet Broom' is considered hardy to around Zone 8b -- warmer than your average Zone 7.  There are microclimates all over a typical Zone, right on individual properties; one side of your house may in fact rate a Zone 8b, esp on the area near the foundation of your house on the South side of the building.  Areas under old trees are also warmer because the roots actually keep the Soil warmer under the canopy than outside the drip line.  Clay Soil behaves differently from Sandy Soil; wet Soil is different from dry Soil; etc.

Brooms can actually grow in a variety of Soils.  But they do best in dry, well drained Soil low in nutrients with a neutral pH.  They're not good wind-takers, and they have fragile roots that do not transplant well or take much moisture over long periods of time, even in the Winter when they are dormant.

Those roots are the Achilles heel of this plant, which is otherwise very easy to grow and considered invasive in some communities.  Note that even in well drained Soil, excessive moisture will damage roots.  For this plant, it critical that you let it dry out between waterings.  Water in the early afternoon to be sure the moisture evaporates from leaves before nightfall.

In addition, it would be helpful to import a few healthy Earthworms to work the Soil for you and promote underground Fungal Mycorrhizae, which is a key to life and happiness of most plants grown today.  Mycorrhizae are simply beneficial Fungi that dramatically increase a plant's potential for nutrient uptake.    When they are damaged -- as would be the case if there was too much moisture -- they cannot work.  And there goes the neighborhood.

Most of the Brooms flower on wood that is at least 1 year old, so if you have been removing or pruning branches (I get the idea you haven't done anything like that but just in case) it would not be prudent to continue doing that.

I suspect your poor Broom struggled to survive this year and lost the battle.  It does not hurt to hope for the best, but if you do see signs of life, DO NOT transplant.  Instead, get yourself a few treatments of Harpin Protein ('Messenger') and spray/water this in to help it recover.  Take note of the Soil conditions, wind, moisture at this particular site, and see if any of those might be taxing the Broom.

This is a beautiful little shrub that should be grown more often, but it needs what it needs.  If you do have one that made it, in addition to the TLC described in the previous paragraph, make sure you protect this plant next year.  You can transplant it CAREFULLY  in the early Winter before it goes dormant to minimize shock.

All this... and it isn't even an Annual.  Good luck.  Thanks for writing.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER