Gorse Ulex europaeus

THIS PLANT HAS BEEN DECLARED A WEED OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE Alternative Name(s): Furze. Family: Fabaceae. Form: Shrub Origin: Native of western Europe eastward to Italy. Flowers/Seedhead: Flowers: Produced all year round but mainly late winter to spring and in autumn. Description: Shrub to 2.5 (rarely to 4) m high. Stems longitudinally striate, green when young, brown when older. Leaves consisting of 3 leaflets on seedlings but are reduced to spines to 3 cm long on older plants. Seeds green to brown, usually 2–6 per seedpod. Distinguishing features: Distinguished by spines instead of leaves on mature plants; yellow pea-like flowers, 1.5–2.5 cm long; seedpods densely hairy, 1–2 cm long. Dispersal: Spread by seed.

Leaves reduced to spines

Notes: Only a small proportion of seeds germinate at any time. Up to 10,000 seeds per square metre have been recorded in soil below Gorse bushes. Seedlings are not spiny and are grazed by stock. Gorse thickets provide cover for rabbits and prevent stock grazing infested areas. Gorse is a major forestry weed in New Zealand. Dense stands are highly flammable. Fire breaks seed dormancy and produces a thick crop of seedlings. Gorse is regarded as a major weed in New Zealand, Chile and the western states of the USA. Gorse has been used as a hedge plant. Biological control agents have been introduced for Gorse control in Australia.

References:

Biology of Australian Weeds. F. Panetta et al. (eds), Vol. 2, 1998, pages 269–290. Noxious Weeds of Australia. W. Parsons and E. Cuthbertson, 1992, pages 480–484.