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Shrub or sub-shrub of the Fabaceae family, this subspecies is native to the western Mediterranean basin, found on the rocky coasts and garrigues of southern France, the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, and northern Africa. It grows on limestone cliffs, sunny screes, open maquis, and dry, wind-swept slopes, often at low altitude but sometimes up to 600-700 meters.
It forms a rounded and dense bush of 50 to 100 cm, with numerous branches bearing glaucous, blue-green leaves composed of small oval, fleshy, and thick leaflets. This characteristic blue-grey evergreen foliage is its most immediately distinctive feature, even outside of flowering.
The flowers are bright and vivid yellow, gathered in axillary umbels of 4 to 8 typically papilionaceous flowers, emitting a sweet and pronounced fragrance. In its natural habitat, the main flowering period extends from February to April. In cultivation under mild climates, floral resurgence is frequent in autumn and winter, making this shrub valuable for the garden's off-seasons.
It requires well-drained soil, calcareous or neutral, and full sun exposure. Hardy to about -10 °C in dry soil, it fears prolonged humidity in winter. Light pruning after flowering is recommended to maintain a compact shape.