Genista versicolor
Genista versicolor
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Genista versicolor is a plant of Mediterranean climates with long, hot, dry summers and cool, moist to wet winters. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating occasional temperatures falling to around -5°c[1]. Grows best in a sunny position[2]. An easily grown plant, it does not require a rich or manured soil, growing best in a well-drained, light loam[2]. Plants transplant badly after a few years, and should be given permanent quarters early, or else grown in pots[2]. Whenever possible, genistas should be raised from seed, as plants so obtained are usually healthier and longer-lived than cuttings[2]. Plants do not usually resprout well if cut back into old wood, older plants can be best kept more compact by lightly cutting back the young growth after flowering. The taller species are all improved by shortening back several times in the young state in order to induce a bushy habit[2]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[3].
Propagation
Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, taken in mid to late summer, placed in very sandy soil in a frame. Roots are usually produced in the spring[2]. Cuttings of ripe wood, 5 - 10 cm with a heel, early autumn in a frame. Good percentage. Plant out the following autumn[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Genista+versicolor>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
- [3]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
- [4]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [5]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.