The most familiar is common broom, that grows in northwestern Europe. One can find it in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils. Like most brooms, it has apparently leafless stems that in spring and summer are covered with golden-yellow flowers. In late summer, its pea-pod like seed capsules burst open, often with an audible pop, spreading seed from the parent plant. It makes a shrub about 1–3m tall, rarely to 4m. It is also the hardiest broom, tolerating temperatures down to about -25 °C.