The vibrant yellow gorse flower adds a cheerful splash of colour on a dreary day. This remarkable evergreen supports a wide range of wildlife. You often see stonechats perched atop gorse bushes, defending their territory; these bushes offer excellent protection for nesting and shelter. Reptiles frequently bask near gorse, allowing them to quickly hide from danger. Weevils, moths, and spiders inhabit and feed on gorse, and historically, small embankments were created among the heather to form bee gardens for bees collecting pollen. Many of these embankments were covered with gorse to shield the bees from curious grazing stock. During winter, grazing livestock feed on gorse, gaining nutrition, and the flowers are edible for humans as well. As a member of the pea family, gorse flowers have a coconut aroma and almond flavour, making them a delightful addition to salads or infusions (such as gin!). Gorse flowers can also soothe coughs and sore throats, alleviate asthma symptoms, and act as an anti-inflammatory.
The gorse blooms between January and July and can be confused with the Western gorse (or dwarf furze), which flowers closer to the ground from June to October, because of this there is an old folklore saying 'when gorse flower is blooming, it's kissing season.' This is because you will find a gorse flower pretty much all year round.
In the New Forest, gorse can turn woody and invasive if not managed. Therefore, during the winter months, when birds are focused on feeding instead of nesting and reptiles are hibernating underground, controlled burning of the gorse is conducted, with areas being burned every 12-15 years. What an incredible plant!
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