Butcher's Broom
Butcher's broom Ruscus aculeatus, Ruscaceae, formerly in Liliaceae) is a low
evergreen Eurasian shrub of the lily family, with flat shoots known as cladodes
that give the appearance of stiff, spine-tipped leaves. Small greenish flowers
appear in spring, and are borne singly in the centre of the cladodes. The female
flowers are followed by a red berry, and the seeds are bird-distributed, but the
plant also spreads vegetatively by means of rhizomes. Ruscus aculeatus occurs in
woodlands and hedgerows, where it is tolerant of deep shade, and also on coastal
cliffs. It is also widely planted in gardens, and has spread as a garden escape
in many areas outside its native range.