Butcher's broom

Butcher's broom is a low evergreen shrub with stiff, erect stems and short side branches. What appear to be bright green, glossy, spine-tipped leaves are simply flattened extensions of the branches and they are properly termed 'cladodes'. In spring, a small, solitary greenish-white flower grows from the center of the cladode. Each plant produces only male or female flowers. Plants bearing female flowers develop rounded fruits that turn bright red in Fall and persist on the shrub throughout winter. Shady country roadsides and dense woodlands are favored habits. During December, sidewalk vendors in Palermo's city center sell cut branches of this native shrub for holiday decorations. Butchers once cut branches of this plant and tied them in a bundle to make a broom. Hence the common name in English. Pungitopo, the Italian common name, refers to the household use, in bygone times, of cut branches around the pantry to discourage mice.

Scientific name: Ruscus aculeatus

Italian common name: Pungitopo

English common name: Butcher's broom