[2] It is native to Europe and North Africa, but it is known on other continents where it is grown as an ornamental and used in landscaping for erosion control.

It is a vigorous shrub to 3 m, takes a rounded form and has many branches covered in deciduous leaves.

The leaves are pale green[3] and made up of many pairs of slightly hairy oval-shaped leaflets, each up to about 3 cm long.

The inflorescence is a raceme of generally pea-like yellow flowers about 3 cm long.

It will grow in poor dry soil in exposed conditions but likes full sun.