Tagasaste
5
9Will it grow where I live?
Tagasaste is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
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Profile
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Height
- 5 m
- Spread
- 4 m
- Growth
- very fast
- Lifespan
- 70 years
- First yield
- after 2 years
- Yield per plant
- up to 2 kg a year
- Hardiness
- zone 9–11
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt
- Soil moisture
- dry – very wet
- pH
- 6 – 7.5
- Synonyms
- Sprossender_Zwergginster
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruit harvest |
Uses
Edible: Leaves (raw) are used in salads and as famine food, with a dry yield in New Zealand of 10–18 t/ha, equivalent to 3000–6000 kcal/m²; seeds (pods) have only been found to be used as animal feed.
Other uses: Plant (companion plant, green fodder, green wind and firebreaks, erosion control, soil stabilizer on steep slopes); wood (heavy, hard) (tool handles), firewood, charcoal. The plant is utilized as a companion plant and for erosion control on steep terrain. Its wood, known for being heavy and hard, is ideal for crafting tool handles, as well as for firewood and charcoal production.
⚠️ Hazards
Despite being a type of broom, there have been no observed cases of poisoning from this plant, despite its common use as a grazing shrub for animals. Surprisingly, it may actually be entirely safe.
Frequently asked questions
Tagasaste: how big does it get?
Tagasaste (Cytisus proliferus) grows as a Shrub and reaches roughly 5 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 4 m. Growth is very fast.
Tagasaste: what site does it need?
Tagasaste tolerates light shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt. Soil moisture should be in the range dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 6 and 7.5.
Tagasaste: is it hardy?
Tagasaste is listed as hardy in zone 9–11 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Tagasaste: will it grow in Central Europe?
Tagasaste is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Tagasaste: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from November to March.
Tagasaste: when is it harvested?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate the fruit ripens from June to July.
Tagasaste: when does it start cropping, and how much?
Tagasaste first crops after 2 years. A mature plant gives up to 2 kg a year. Figures assume a good site; variety, soil and climate shift them considerably.
Tagasaste: is it poisonous?
Individual parts of Tagasaste are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.
Tagasaste: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 5/10, Other uses 9/10.
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