Over the course of Spring 2019 - early 2020 I grew my own broom.
It started when I was browsing for seeds to start a little garden with, as we finally had a space at our little Chicago apartment with a raised bed in the back area and I was excited to make use of it. In browsing, Broomcorn (Sorghum bicolor) seeds caught my eye, and so I read about them and how they've been the bristle source for traditional American brooms since the time of Benjamin Franklin, then I bought some. Because how could I resist??
I started the seeds indoors then moved them outside once the last frost was past. There were a couple moments where I thought they would all die off, but a number of the seedlings pulled through. And once they started, they took OFF! Over the course of the Summer and into the Fall, they eventually reached a height of over 10 ft. tall.
Once it was harvest season I cut down the stalks, harvested the bristled seed heads (these had the most gorgeous Fall colors I've ever witnessed, worth growing just for this part tbh), combed out the seeds, let the bristles dry out, then (after watching a few videos) tied them on to an oak handle and made myself a small "hearth broom".
It was a delightful process all around, and I'd recommend giving it a try if you've got a patch of dirt you can claim.
starting the seedlings
broomcorn on the left, about 5' tall
fully grown! About 11' tall
collecting the seed-heads
combed out bristle seed-heads
the final broom
Drop me a message if you ever decide to make your own broom, I'd love to see how it goes!