Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · source
Shrub · Asparagaceae
Butcher’s broom
Ruscus aculeatus
In other languages: Muizendoorn (Nederlands) · Fragon (Français)
Butcher’s broom is a stiff, evergreen shrub from western and southern Europe, the Mediterranean region and western Asia, where it grows in woods and scrub. What look like leaves are actually flattened stems, known as cladodes, which end in a sharp spine. Tiny greenish flowers sit in the middle of these ‘leaves’, followed on female plants by bright red berries. It stays low, about 60 cm tall and wide, and grows slowly but tenaciously, even in the dry shade under trees where almost nothing else will grow. A useful, tough plant for difficult spots.
Caution: The berries are poisonous and must not be eaten. Keep children and pets (dogs, cats) away, and do not plant it where small children can pick the berries. The stems have sharp spines: wear gloves when working with it.
Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -20 °C
Size
0.6 m
tall, 0.6 m wide
| Pruning months | March |
|---|---|
| Height | 0.6 m |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
Identify
Butcher’s broom: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Stiff, upright, evergreen shrub 0.6–1 m tall, slowly spreading by a rhizome.
- Foliage
- No true leaves, but flattened stems (cladodes) of 2–4 cm, leathery, dark green, ending in a sharp spine.
- Flower
- Tiny, greenish white, in the middle of the flattened stems, in late winter and spring.
- Fruit
- Round red berry of about 1 cm on the female plants, ripe in autumn and long-lasting.
- Sex
- Dioecious: there are male and female plants. Only females carry berries, and they need a male nearby.
Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March
In your garden
Why grow it?
- Grows where almost nothing else will: dry shade under trees and shrubs.
- Always green, with stiff, dark green stems that give structure all year.
- Female plants carry bright red berries that decorate into winter, as long as a male plant stands nearby.
- Tolerates drought and root competition from large trees.
- Hardly any diseases or pests; rabbits and deer usually leave it alone.
Butcher’s broom: where does it grow best?
- Partial shade to shade; also tolerates full sun if the soil does not dry out.
- Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
- Moist to dry; it tolerates drought, but not permanently wet feet.
- Hardy and robust; it needs no special shelter.
- Allow 50–60 cm per plant. Plant at least one male among the females, within a few metres.
- Light
- Partial shade and shade
- Soil type
- Sand, loam or clay
- Acidity
- Not fussy
- Moisture
- Dry or normal
- Size
- 0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -20 °C)
Goes well with
- Barrenwort: A dry-shade ground cover that flowers in spring.
- Hellebore: Flowers in winter beside the red berries.
- Hardy cyclamen: Small pink flowers in autumn under trees, in the same dry shade.
- Ivy: An evergreen ground cover with a different leaf shape.
- Ferns: Soft, fine fronds beside the stiff, spiny stems.
Maintenance
Butcher’s broom: when and how to plant it?
Plant in March–April and September–October.
- Plant in March–April or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
- Buy plants labelled ‘male’ or ‘female’; seedlings cannot be told apart for years.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a little compost.
- Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and leave 50–60 cm between plants.
- Water in generously straight away and firm the soil well.
- Spread a layer of leaf mould or bark around the base. Wear gloves: the spines are sharp.
Care
- Water
- In the first year, water generously once a week in dry weather. After that it copes, even under trees.
- Feeding
- Little needed. A layer of compost in spring is enough.
- Mulching
- A layer of leaf mould in autumn or spring keeps the soil moist and feeds the ground.
- Tidying
- In spring, cut dead, yellowed or damaged stems right back to the base.
- Berries
- Leave the berries on: they decorate far into winter. Do not eat them.
Tip: For red berries, buy a female and a male plant, or a type that pollinates itself. Seedlings cannot be told apart for years.
Butcher’s broom: when to prune it?
Pruning months: March.
When: In March, before the new shoots appear. It hardly needs pruning.
How:
- Cut dead, yellowed or damaged stems right back to the base.
- Every few years, take out a few of the oldest stems to give new shoots room.
- To keep it lower or narrower, cut the outer stems off at ground level.
- Wear gloves and long sleeves: the spines are sharp.
Caution: Always cut at the base; stems cut halfway do not regrow.
Propagation
- Division
- In March–April or September–October, divide the rhizome with a sharp spade or knife, each piece with roots and shoots. Replant straight away and water generously.
- Seed
- Sow fresh berry seed outdoors in autumn. It germinates very slowly, sometimes only after one or two years, and you will not know whether the plant is male or female for years.
Butcher’s broom: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −20 °C.
- Hardy to about −20 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
- It stays green all year; in hard frost and dry wind the tips may turn brown.
- In a pot: choose a deep, wide pot with good drainage and stand it against a wall so the roots do not freeze.
Diseases and pests
- No berries: There is no male plant nearby, or you only have males. Add a plant of the other sex.
- Brown or yellow stems: Usually caused by hard frost, dry wind or soil that is too wet. Cut damaged stems back in March; the plant will regrow.
- Rotting roots: Happens on waterlogged clay. Improve drainage with sand or compost, or plant it higher.
- Slow growth: That is normal: it takes a few years to settle in. Water in the first year and be patient.
Through the year
- March: Plant or divide. Cut dead stems back to the base.
- April: Plant. Apply compost.
- May: Water new plants in dry weather.
- June: First year: water weekly in dry weather.
- July: Dry spells: water new plants.
- September: Plant or divide. The berries colour up.
- October: Plant. The red berries are ripe.
- November: Mulch with leaf mould. The berries decorate the garden.
- December: Rest. Red berries and green stems decorate the garden.
Use
Edible and useful
Not edible. The bright red berries of butcher’s broom are poisonous: they cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. They sit in the middle of the prickly ‘leaves’ and stay on from autumn well into winter, at a child’s height. Sprigs with berries are also used in Christmas decorations: keep these out of reach of children and pets. Do not plant a butcher’s broom with berries where small children play, or pick off the berries. Wear sturdy gloves when working on it, as the spiny tips are sharp. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.
You and this species
Did you know?
- What look like leaves are really flattened stems. The flowers and berries therefore sit in the middle of them, which is rare among plants.
- The name ‘butcher’s broom’ recalls the time when butchers used bundles of twigs to scrub their chopping blocks clean.
- There are male and female plants; some selections have hermaphrodite flowers and bear berries without a partner.