Broom can be evergreen or deciduous, and can grow upright or prostrate. Broom is usually grown for its pea-like flowers that are often fragrant. There are dwarf, small and medium-sized shrubs. The foliage is somewhat feathery. Genista maderensis is a native of Madeira, where it grows to up to 7 mtrs.It is evergreen, and in late Spring and early Summer has masses of golden, fragrant flowers.

It develops a large number of branches that give the plant a disordered appearance, so for ornamental purposes it is pruned several times, especially after flowering. The ideal time to be marketed is when the flower bud turns from green to yellow.