Pink Tree Broom

Botanical name: Carmichaelia glabrescens
Synonyms: Notospartium glabrescens
Common name(s): Pink Tree Broom

About:
A graceful native shrub or small tree with masses of flattened green leafless stems and attractive pink pea flowers. Fast growing and highly ornamental, it is well adapted to dry, sunny environments and is particularly suited to rocky banks, cliff faces and steep slopes. Despite its delicate appearance, it is a hardy and resilient species.

Natural habitat:
Found on alluvial terraces, gorges, cliff faces, steep valley sides and rocky slopes in lowland to montane environments.

Growing environment:
Frost, Wind, Drought, Coastal and Free-draining soil tolerant. Requires full sun and performs best in dry, open conditions.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Naturally found in Marlborough, South Island, south of the Awatere Fault.

Height:
Up to 7 m

Width:
2–4 m

Flowering:
November – January

Fruiting:
January – December

Uses:

• Feature tree or shrub
• Dryland revegetation
• Erosion control
• Rock gardens
• Cliff and bank planting
• Native bee habitat
• Shelter for wildlife

Appearance:

Growth habit:
Spreading to upright shrub or small tree with a loose, airy crown and numerous drooping branchlets.

Leaves:
Leaves are reduced to tiny triangular scales and are usually absent on mature plants, giving a leafless appearance.

Stems:
Slender flattened green branchlets, smooth and compressed, forming a tangled mass of graceful foliage-like stems.

Flowers:
Masses of small pink pea flowers with darker pink veins, produced in short clusters along the stems.

Fruit:
Flattened papery seed pods that remain closed when mature and contain several mottled seeds.

Ecology:
Provides nectar and pollen for native insects, particularly bees. As a member of the pea family, it helps improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Associated habitats:
Dry rocky shrublands, river terraces, gorge systems, cliff faces, talus slopes and open montane scrub.

How to grow:
Plant in full sun in a well-drained position. Excellent for dry banks, retaining walls and rocky gardens. Avoid humid or heavily shaded sites, as plants perform poorly in these conditions.

Propagation:
Easily grown from fresh seed. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be struck but are generally more difficult and less reliable.

Cultural use:
Part of New Zealand’s distinctive native broom flora and an important component of dry eastern South Island ecosystems.

Garden value:
An outstanding ornamental native valued for its clouds of pink flowers, elegant green stems and ability to thrive in difficult dry sites. One of the finest native shrubs for sunny, free-draining gardens and restoration plantings.