# Gorse (*Ulex L.*)

Gorse is a spiky bush with beautiful yellow flowers. It’s tough and can grow in rocky places!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas and hills
- **Also known as:** Furze, Whin

![Gorse](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424297/objects/5038.jpg)

## Appearance

The Gorse is a very spiky evergreen shrub, often forming dense thickets. It has bright, pea-like yellow flowers that stand out against its dark green, needle-like leaves. Its formidable spines make it look different from most other flowering bushes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Ulex

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people sometimes burned Gorse to heat their bread ovens.
- Gorse can bloom for months, even through the cold winter snow.
- Its bright yellow flowers often smell sweetly of coconut or vanilla!
- This tough plant can live for over 30 years in harsh conditions!

## Special abilities

- **Spiky Defender:** Gorse has extremely sharp, tough spines that help it defend against hungry animals and retain precious water.
- **Soil Booster:** Gorse can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, helping it grow in poor ground and enriching the area for other plants.
- **Exploding Seeds:** Gorse seed pods can burst open with a loud 'pop' on hot days, flinging seeds far away to spread the plant.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-500 cm
- **Spread:** 100-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late winter to early summer, with sporadic blooms year-round
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Pollinates its bright yellow flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Browses on young shoots and bark.
- **Shelter:** [Dunnock](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dunnock) (*Prunella modularis*) — Nests and hides in its dense, spiky branches.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacterium (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Helps Gorse grow by adding nitrogen to soil.

## Traits

- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water.
- [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.

## Collections

- [Grasses](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses)
- [Grasses, Shrubs & Bushes](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses-shrubs-and-bushes)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Gorse?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Gorse?

100-500 cm

### How wide does Gorse spread?

100-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Gorse?

1-2 cm

### When does Gorse bloom?

Late winter to early summer, with sporadic blooms year-round

### Is Gorse edible?

No

### Is Gorse toxic?

Mild

### What is Gorse's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Enchanted Floral Gardens of Kula](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enchanted-floral-gardens-of-kula) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Gorse: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gorse)