Among some of the plants which is blossoming in my Black Rock Gardens from last year is Broom. From the family Fabaceae, Cytiscus Scoparius is also called Scotch Broom, butcher's broom, and even sweet broom. It is a perennial shrub with thick stems. I have seen it in various colors, but mine is covered in golden-yellow flowers. It is magnificent. I have seen many other varieties on Fire Island through the years
Our herbal fore father, Culpepper considered it to be good for dropsy, black jaundice (Weil's disease) sciatica and gout. The blossoms were used for making a salve to cure gout, and King Henry VIII ( known to have serious gout) drank the flower-water to counteract his excessive eating and drinking.
I use Scotch broom as anti arrhythmic herb for rhythm disturbances of the heart, especially atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia. I think the herb Broom I use is Sarothamnusscoparis, but must ask one of my mentors if there is a difference. I know that the broom family has always been known to have cardiac properties. It contains no glycosides so does not belong to the foxglove family (as digoxin). It does contain an alkaloid called sparteine as well as genistein and sarothamin. All three slow the conduction. Upon studying this herb there is a familiarity to quinine. I have seen mid wives use broom in delivery as it causes uterine contractions. For me, it is non toxic. I have never had a problem with dosing broom at high levels. I use it with Motherwort, Hawthorn and Night Blooming Cactus. It is effective for atrial arrhythmias as atrial tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.