Gorse (Ulex europaeus) profile

Gorse belongs to the legume family, which grows throughout Western Europe and can be found in lush golden traces in the UK's wastelands and public lands. Ordinary plants bloom only during certain seasons. But the Gorse is full of golden flowers all the year-round. Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate, which is ideal for growing.

Gorse picture

Morphological features of the gorse

Stems

Gorse is a prickly ornamental shrub with a height of 50~200cm. Stem is cylindrical, longitudinally angled, much-branched, slightly hairy.

Leaf

The leaves of Gorse usually degenerate, and the petioles are clustered into spines, 5 -- 15mm long, and dense.

Flowers

Flowers of Gorse are 1 to 3 axillary, in the upper stem of the complex raceme, bracts small, oval, about 2mm long; Flowers are 13 -- 15mm long, bright yellow corolla, flag obovate, apex slightly concave, winged elliptic, glabrous, keel oblong, lower margin villous, pedicels 3 -- 9mm long, bracts broadly ovate, about 2mm long, and bracts and pedicels are densely covered with brown villous; Calyx of Gorse is membranous, yellowish-brown, 12-14mm long, densely covered with brown villi, 2-lip, lobed to a few basal parts; Stamen monomer, another type 2.

Gorse is in full bloom with golden flowers all year-round.

Fruit

The pod of Gorse is narrowly ovate, 11~20mm long, densely covered with brown hairs, and contains 2~4 seeds in the persistent calyx. Seeds are ovoid, ca. 3mm long and 2mm wide, dark brown, lustrous.

The ecological habits of gorse

Gorse beans must grow in mild or warm climates.

The harmful character of gorse

Gorse was introduced by French missionaries in the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1862) near the church in Chengkou. As a hedgerows cultivation, it has been extensively naturalized and invaded the shrubs and grasslands on the hillside, causing adverse effects on the local ecosystem landscape. The species has been listed as one of the "100 most harmful invasive alien species in the world".

The Gorse area of distribution

Gorse bean is native to Europe; Now it is widely introduced and naturalized.

The incursion place of Giza was Chongqing.

How to propagate Gorse

Gorse propagates specifically via seed, however it can additionally unfold vegetatively. Its seeds can continue to be manageable in the soil for over 30 years.

How to control Gorse

General Control Strategy

Gorse manipulation needs to be achieved in two stages. The first stage is to get manipulated by hooked up plants. The 2nd stage is to manage new flora from the current seed bank. The most high-quality manipulation software commonly consists of an aggregate of herbicides and cultivation or mowing.

Mechanical Control

Hand pulling or digging may also be a choice for small infestations, however the complete plant has to be eliminated because gorse can re-sprout. Chopping, reducing or mowing is a choice for flat areas. Repeated mowing may additionally be indispensable to expend root reserves.

Cultural Control

Cultivation and organising aggressive pasture species, woodland trees, or different vegetation assist withstand gorse invasions as properly as different weeds.

Biological Control

Goats are a few positive managed approaches for gorse seedlings. Chickens consume gorse seeds, and through the digestion manner the seeds are destroyed.

Herbicide Control

Please refer to the PNW Weed Management Handbook, or contact your county noxious weed coordinator.