Scotch broom is a bushy, drought-deciduous shrub that grows three to six feet tall. The green branches are sharply angled with five green ridges, and they are hairy when young and without hairs as they mature. Scotch broom reproduces vegetatively and by seed. The seed pods often open explosively, vaulting the seeds to some distance away. Two adaptations allow the seeds to disperse even further: (1) a hard seed coat that allows the seeds to survive rough transport through water, and (2) a fleshy structure rich in lipids and proteins that attracts ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests, creating dense infestations of scotch broom around ant nests. Scotch broom may also be dispersed by goats and horses digesting the seeds.