Scotch broom competes aggressively with other plants for nutrients, light, and water. It displaces native and/or more desirable species, reducing range, pasture, and commercial forest production. Older growth is unpalatable to grazing animals, and toxic compounds in seeds have resulted in livestock death. Although goats, sheep, and wildlife will browse young growth and flowers, the negative impacts outweigh the positive because dense stands of Scotch broom form impenetrable thickets that block access to water and more desirable forage. The high oil content of Scotch broom foliage and seeds and the large amount of dead growth beneath their canopies make Scotch broom an extreme fire hazard.