Butcher’s Broom: Ancient Perennial Plant For the Future

Butcher’s broom at the National Herb Garden

Years ago, I noticed a small evergreen shrub with pointed leaves and large red berries at the National Herb Garden, part of the U.S. National Arboretum in DC. This was in winter in the Dioscorides part of the National Herb Garden, a space devoted to medicinal herbs collected by Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides around A.D. 60. Back then, Greeks used butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) as a laxative and diuretic. According to the sign next to the plant, “leaves and berries were drunk in wine to encourage menstruation, to break up bladder stones, and to cure jaundice and headaches. Also used as a diuretic.” Currently, this medicinal herb is being researched to see if it can address blood circulation issues.

Butcher’s broom at the National Herb Garden

I, of course, was just interested in a plant that was evergreen in winter with striking red berries – think of how the branches could be cut for holiday decorations! Unfortunately, I never saw this plant for sale at the local garden centers. They are not popular commercially probably because they are slow growers but they are not finicky plants. Although they look like short shrubs, they are evergreen perennials that prefer shade and well-drained soil. Most plants in this genus are dioecious (male and female plants) but this particular species is self-fertile.

The foliage is stiff and thick with a pointed end, making the plant look spiny. Interestingly they do not have true leaves. They have leaflike structures called cladodes which are flat stems that look like leaves. Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus plants also have cladodes. When butcher’s broom blooms, tiny star-like flowers appear in the middle of the cladode resulting in a small green fruit. Gradually, the sphere gets larger and red so really the red fruit or berry arises from the cladode.

Butcher’s broom ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’ at the JC Raulston Arboretum

Once established, these plants are drought, heat, and salt resistant. This summer, I saw Ruscus aculeatus ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’ in a wooded area at the JC Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina.  Elizabeth (1904-1985) is the first garden writer that I “met” through her many books about her gardens in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. Even though I graduated with a degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, I had never read or heard of garden literature, let alone southern garden writing. I did try to visit her home and garden in Charlotte when I was in North Carolina but it was closed that day. If you visit the website, you will see a photo of the butcher’s broom on the slider.

The Elizabeth Lawrence form at the Arboretum came from her garden. She obtained the plant from her friend Mr. Krippendorf, who obtained it from the original discover, British gardener Clarence Elliott in 1955 (this information is from the Plant Delights website). This form is more compact at 2 feet tall and wide.

Another view of butcher’s broom ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’

Elizabeth mentions the plant in her books several times. She said it is “one of the most reliable shrubs for troublesome places. It will grow in the driest places, even under trees, and in all degrees of shade. The berries of this do remain all winter, and they keep their brilliant red color. A number of plants have been raised from seed sent from England by Clarence Elliott.”

She too acknowledges that it is not well known and, at the time, only available from Monrovia nursery in California. She theorized that it was because it was a slow grower. The plants she had in Raleigh did not fruit, they must have been male plants, but the ones she had in the Charlotte garden did fruit and were from seed sent from Clarence Elliott.

I looked online and did not see the plant for sale on the Monrovia website but it is available at Plant Delights Nursery. Ironically, almost 40 years since Elizabeth’s death, butcher’s broom may be a desirable plant given climate change and our current dry and hot summers. This seems like a good plant to purchase for drought tolerance as well as its evergreen nature. Plus the added benefit of seeing flowers emerge from the middle of the cladodes and the red berries!