I profess an above average plant knowledge, so I was a bit embarrassed recently when a visitor to the Mary Snoddy grounds (she is a fantastic gardener) corrected my mis-identification of Butcher’s Broom as Poet’s Laurel. She was right!

Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is in the same genetic family (Asparagaceae) as Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa), along with Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra), Asparagus Fern, and Sacred Lily (Rohdea – a fabulous plant to be featured in a future blog). Broom and Laurel share unusual characteristics. What appears to be leaves are actually modified stems, known by botanists as cladophylls. Both have foliage that lasts a long time when cut, making them favorites among the flower arranging community, and both have beautiful orange-red fruits in fall. Butcher’s Broom, however, has thorns hidden along the stems that will snag an unsuspecting gardener. Poet’s Laurel does not have these prickles. Both the Broom and the Laurel enjoy dry shade to part shade, zones 7 to 9. They tolerate a wide range of soils and are drought tolerant once established. The Laurel has a weeping habit while the Broom is more upright. Butcher’s Broom may eventually reach three feet in height with a bit wider spread. Poet’s Laurel will mature at four feet in height. Any branches that die should be cut off at ground level.

Butcher’s Broom and Poet’s Laurel are difficult to propagate and slow-growing so when available in plant nurseries, they are likely to carry a healthy price-tag. Brooms normally need both female and male plants nearby in order to produce those marble-size fruits, but ‘Wheeler’s Variety’ will self-pollinate. Brooms spread (gradually) from a creeping rhizome. If you are patient, you can also push the seeds into soil but expect to wait three years or more before you see leaves.

Neither plant is bothered by diseases or browsed by deer. One easy way to remember the plants’ identities is to recall that Poet’s Laurel was once used to form crowns for victorious athletes (hence the phrase, “resting on one’s laurels”). With its needle-like thorns, Butcher’s Broom would make an uncomfortable tiara.

The rich green foliage looks fabulous when paired with variegated plants or lighter green foliage. In a new bed, I have planted it with an under-dressing of ‘Black Scallop’ Ajuga (purple) and chartreuse “Jewels of Opar” (Talinum paniculatum). Even without the orange-red berries of a mature Butcher’s Broom, this color combination pleases me and I think it will only get better with age, though I may need to provide supplemental water for the Ajuga.