Echinospartum horridum

A dwarf shrub of the Fabaceae family, Echinospartum horridum is endemic to the Pyrenees and the north of the Iberian Peninsula, where it colonizes rocky ridges, high-altitude grasslands, and exposed limestone scree, generally between 1,400 and 2,400 meters. It is a characteristic species of the subalpine and alpine Pyrenean zones.

It forms dense and compact hemispherical cushions, 20 to 50 cm in height, which can reach a considerable diameter with age. The branches are rigid, ending in points, but completely harmless to the touch — one can safely plunge a hand into the cushion to weed it, which frankly contradicts the epithet horridum, bristly, which evokes more the general appearance of the plant than its actual aggressiveness. The leaves, reduced and deciduous, are quickly replaced by these gray-green branches that ensure photosynthesis.

The papilionaceous flowers are bright yellow to intense golden yellow, tightly packed in large numbers on the branches, literally covering the cushion to the point of making it unrecognizable under a uniform golden mantle. The contrast between the bristly armor and this exuberant flowering is one of the most striking sights of the Pyrenean grasslands in summer.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August depending on the altitude.

In cultivation, it requires absolute full sun, a very well-drained, poor soil, preferably limestone. It withstands intense cold and summer drought, but dreads stagnant humidity. Its growth is slow and transplantation delicate; it is preferable to sow it in place or to install it young.