Common Name: | Gorse |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Genus: | Ulex |
Species: | europaeus L. |
Classification/Rank: | Extremely Invasive |
Method of Transportation: | Explosive seeds pods expel seeds several feet away. Seeds can be transported by water, machinery, animals, ants and humans. |
Habitat/Range: | Grows on dry, sandy or open rocky clearings, logged areas, roadsides and coastal bluffs. |
Gorse has bright yellow pea-like flowers that grow on a spiny ever green shrub. The shrub can grow up to 3 m tall and usually has a single densely branched upright stem. It grows rapidly for 15 years can has a lifespan up to 45 years.
Gorse is a pioneer species in successional forests. It can easily take over a cut-block and prevent the growth of native species. This spiny plant reduces access to recreation in areas where it is dense and can increase fire hazzards.
For more information on Gorse visis the Weeds BC Gorse webpage. To inquire about this plant in the Northwest call 1-866-44WEEDS or to report this plant use the Report-A-Weed application.
Land owners and managers have long recognized the need to control invasive plants to limit their impacts. In May 2018, a new smartphone app...
Bioagents are one tool in the fight against invasive plants, and they are intensly studied before release to ensure they won't switch to...