Acmispon glaber

Acmispon glaber, commonly called deerweed or California broom, is a perennial subshrub in the legume family (Fabaceae) endemic to California and adjacent Baja California. It grows 0.3-1.5 m tall, forming a many-branched mound of slender, green, broom-like stems that are often nearly leafless in summer. The small, alternate leaves bear three to six narrowly oblong leaflets. From spring into late summer, axillary clusters of two to seven pea-flowers open yellow and fade to orange and reddish as they age, giving inflorescences a multicoloured appearance. Pods are slender, slightly curved, and contain a few small seeds. A pioneer species on chaparral burns and disturbed slopes, deerweed fixes nitrogen, stabilises soil, and supports numerous native bees and butterflies as both nectar and larval host plant.