Throughout history, brooms have been used for cleaning. Early brooms were made of flexible twigs tied onto wooden handles. They quickly fell apart, giving rise to the phrase “flying off the handle.” Brooms were changed forever when Benjamin Franklin returned from Europe with seeds of African Sorghum, also known as ‘Broomcorn’. The leaf stalks resemble corn but without ears and were used for hay and distilled into a sweet syrup. The top of the broomcorn sports stiff thin stalks with seeds on the tip of each stalk. These stalks were used for making brooms. Although brooms are still made in this manner most brooms are made with stiff plastic bristles.
Growing Home: Brooms
