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Fabaceae FAMILY

Retama sphaerocarpa

Retama sphaerocarpa

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant can be toxic to grazing animals, though goats seem to be immune[1]. The plant is strongly bitter and, although it is used medicinally, a strong decoction is said to produce vomiting and headaches[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitShrub
Growth—

Retama sphaerocarpa is a plant of Mediterranean regions with their hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters; it can be found at elevations up to 1,400 metres. It grows mainly in areas where the average annual temperature is between 13.5 - 17.5°c and that of the coldest month can fall as low as -0.6 to 7.8°c[2]. The mean annual rainfall is around 320 - 750mm, falling almost entirely in the cooler months[2]. Possibly the hardiest member of the genus, it can be grown outdoors in temperate regions that are free from prolonged frosts. So long as the preceding summer has been hot enough to ripe the current season's growth, the plant is able to tolerate short periods where temperatures fall to around -10°c.[3]. Requires a warm, sunny position in a very well-drained, light-textured soil and some protection from rain in the winter[3]. Grows best in drier soils of low fertility[3]. Established plants are very drought tolerant. An aromatic plant[1]. 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[4].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits 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 half-ripe wood in a frame[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Retama+sphaerocarpa>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Inventario Espanol de los Conocimientos Tradicionales relativos a la Biodiversidad. Segunda Fase — Editors: Manuel Pardo de Santayana et al · Ministerio de Agricultura; Madrid · 2018 · http://publicacionesoficiales.boe.es/ · ISBN 978-84-491-1472-4 ↩︎An excellent guide to the traditional uses of plants in Spain. Produced in three volumes, it is available for download as a PDF from the Internet
  2. [2]Producción y manejo de semillas y plantas forestales — García J.P. et al · Ministerio de Agricultura; Madrid · 2014 · https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/parques-nacionales-oapn/publicaciones/naturaleza-parques.aspx · ISBN 978-84-8014-837-5 ↩︎An excellent guide, in Spanish, to the Forestry trees and shrubs of Spain. It can be downloaded as a PDF.
  3. [3]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.
  4. [4]The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation — Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. · University of Wisconsin · 1981 · ISBN 0-333-32221-5 ↩︎An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
  5. [5]Genus Retama: a review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities — León-González A.J. et al · 2018 · https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-018-9555-3 ↩︎Published on-line, an excellent review of the uses of species in the genus Retama
  6. [6]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  7. [7]Shelter Trees and Hedges. — Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. · Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.