Ulex - Gorse

Gorse (Ulex) comprises a genus of about 20 species of evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia. Other common names for gorse include furse, whin and furze.

Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green stems and very small leaves and adapts to dry growing conditions, but differs in its extreme spininess, with the leaves being modified into 1-4 cm long spines. All the species have yellow flowers, some with a very long flowering season.

The most widely familiar species is the Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus), the only species native in most of western Europe, where it grows in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils. It is also the largest species, reaching 2-3 m height; this compares with typically 0.2-0.4 m for Western gorse (Ulex gallii). This latter species is characteristic of highly exposed Atlantic coastal heathland and montane habitats.

Common gorse flowers most strongly in spring, though it bears some flowers year round, hence the old country phrase: "When gorse is out of blossom, kissing's out of fashion". The flowers have a very distinctive strong coconut scent. Western gorse or Dwarf Furze differs in being almost entirely late summer flowering (August-September in Ireland and Britain), and also have somewhat darker yellow flowers than Common gorse.

Gorse is a fire-climax plant, very well adapted to stand-replacing fires, being highly flammable, and having seed pods that are to a large extent opened by fire, thus allowing rapid regeneration after fire. The burnt stumps also readily sprout new growth from the roots. Where fire is excluded, gorse soon tends to be shaded out by taller-growing trees, unless other factors like exposure also apply. Typical fire recurrence periods in gorse stands are 5-20 years.

Gorse thrives best in poor growing areas and conditions; it has been widely used for land reclamation (e.g., mine tailings), where its nitrogen-fixing capacity helps other plants establish better.

It is a valuable plant for wildlife, providing dense thorny cover ideal for protecting bird nests; in Britain, France and Ireland, it is particularly noted for supporting European Stonechats and Dartford Warblers. The flowers are sometimes eaten by the larva of the Double-striped Pug moth and another moth, Coleophora albicosta feeds exclusively on Ulex.

In many areas of North America, southern South America, Australia and New Zealand, the Common Gorse, introduced as an ornamental plant or hedge, has become naturalised and an invasive weed due to its aggressive seed dispersal; it has proved very difficult to eradicate.

Gorse is one of the most recognised agricultural weeds in New Zealand. Introduced from Western Europe in the very early stages of European settlement it was recorded by Charles Darwin during his voyage through New Zealand waters in 1835 as growing in hedges in the Bay of Islands. It's spread and development as a weed in this country's temperate climate was rapid but settlers failed to recognise the threat, and gorse seed continued to be imported and plantings deliberately established into the 1900s. Large spreading infestations over hundreds of hectares resulted, peaking in the late 1940s and costing past, present and future generations a great deal to clear and control. Gorse become New Zealand's most costly weed to control and still is. Total eradication even with contemporary technology seems impossible. However, in New Zealand, it has been found to form a useful nursery for certain species for native bush regeneration. If gorse stands are left for several years, native seedlings generate in their shelter and grow up through the gorse, cutting out its light and eventually replacing it.


USES
Gorse flowers are edible and can be used in salads, tea and to make a non-grape based 'wine'. Gorse was used as animal feed in Scotland and Wales within the UK. It was "bruised" (crushed) by hand using mallets, or through hand or water driven mills and mixed with straw chaff to make fodder.


Species
Ulex europaeus - The Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is an evergreen shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to western Europe from a northerly point of The United Kingdom south to Portugal, and Westerly point of Ireland east to Galiza in Belgium.
It grows to 1-2 m tall, rarely 3 m. The young stems are green, with the leaves modified into green spines, 1-3 cm long. Young seedlings produce normal leaves for the first few months; these are trifoliate, resembling a small clover leaf.
The flowers are yellow, 1-2 cm long, with the typical pea-flower structure; they are produced throughout the year, but mainly in the early spring. The fruit is a legume (pod) 2 cm long, dark purplish-brown, partly enclosed by the pale brown remnants of the flower; the pod contains 2-3 small blackish seeds, which are released when the pod splits open in hot weather.
Like all species of gorse, it is a fire-climax plant, which readily catches fire but re-grows from the roots after the fire; the seeds are also adapted to germinate after slight scorching by fire.
Common Gorse shrubs are sometimes used by homeowners and landscape architects for home security purposes. The sharp thorns of many species deter unauthorized persons from entering private properties, and may prevent break-ins if planted under windows and near drainpipes.

Ulex gallii - Dwarf Furze (Ulex gallii), also known as Western Gorse, is an evergreen shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man, France and north-western Spain. It is more common in the west and favours acid heathy soils and is frequently found in exposed maritime and montane environments.
It grows up to 90 cm tall although it is often much shorter than this, especially in exposed locations. The young stems are green, with the leaves modified into green spines, 1–3 cm long.
The flowers are yellow, 1–2 cm long, with the typical pea-flower structure; they are produced principally in the late summer and autumn, rarely before July. The fruit is a legume (pod), partly enclosed by the pale brown remnants of the flower.
Like all species of gorse, it is a fire-climax plant, which readily catches fire but re-grows from the roots after the fire; the seeds are also adapted to germinate after slight scorching by fire.

Ulex borgiae

Ulex micranthus

Ulex cantabricus

Ulex argenteus

Ulex minor - Dwarf Gorse

Ulex parviflorus

Ulex boivinii

Ulex densus

Ulex genistoides

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