White Broom

Called "juniper" in the King James, the white broom, Retama raetam, is a member of the bean family and unrelated to the relative of pine known as juniper. White broom is one of the most common plants in deserts and other arid regions of the Middle East. Unlike many other shrubs of dry habitats, it remains green throughout the year. The many tall, slim stems bear small leaves for only a short time during the rainy season. Attractive masses of white flowers are borne at the end of the winter. With no leaves, the flowers are especially conspicuous. The underground portions of the shrub are an excellent source of charcoal, which produces an exceptionally hot flame. This use is mentioned in Psalm 12:4. Because of its beauty and ability to survive under difficult conditions, rotem, as the white broom is called in Hebrew, is used as a girl's name in Israel.

Broom References