Ulex europaeus seed

LATIN NAME: ULEX EUROPAEUS

COMMON NAME: Gorse, Common Gorse, Furze, Whin

The gorse is one of the most golden and fragrant of the flowering shrubs of the western coasts, and its spiny, evergreen branches and its bright-yellow, coconut-scented flowers have made it a landmark of the heaths and the cliffs of the Atlantic world. It grows as a dense, spiny, evergreen shrub of the pea family, reaching up to two metres or more, with a mass of rigid, green, spiny branches which take the place of the leaves, and, through much of the year, but most richly in the spring, many bright-yellow, pea-like, coconut-scented flowers which cover the bush, followed by the dark, hairy seed pods which split open with a sharp crack in the sun. It is a species of the flowering shrub, native to the western coasts of Europe, while it has been introduced to many other temperate regions, and it is known as the gorse, the furze or the whin.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The gorse has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the ecology and the heathland science, since the gorse is one of the characteristic shrubs of the Atlantic heaths and the cliffs, and the researchers have examined its role in the heathland ecosystems, its relationship with the fire and its value as a shelter for the birds and the insects, while the study of the heathland shrubs has drawn attention in the international ecological press. The plant has also been studied in the chemistry and the natural-products science, since the gorse contains a range of alkaloids and other compounds, and the researchers have examined the plant, its constituents and its composition, while the study of the leguminous shrubs and their chemistry has been of continuing interest, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and a shrub of the wild places rather than a casual remedy. The species has also been studied in the horticulture and the invasive-species science, since the gorse is a popular garden shrub but also a serious invasive plant in some regions, and the researchers have examined its spread and its control, while the bright-yellow, coconut-scented flowers of the gorse have been of interest to the botanists and the gardeners. For a shrub of such golden presence, the gorse has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Gorse from seed, ecologically, the gorse is a generous shrub of the heaths and the cliffs. Its dense, spiny growth gives a fine shelter and a nesting place to the birds and the small creatures, and its bright-yellow flowers feed the bees and the insects through much of the year, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the poor, acidic soil of the heathland. Its economic value is real: the gorse is prized as a flowering shrub for the poor, acidic soil and the coastal garden, and its value has drawn attention in the international horticultural press, while the bright-yellow, coconut-scented flowers have made it a favourite of the heath garden, and the plant has also been used as a fodder and a fuel in the old rural economy. To raise the gorse, sow the seeds in pots of gritty, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little shrubs on in the sun.

sow the seeds in pots of gritty, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep the young gorse gently watered, and grow the little shrubs on in the sun.

  Ulex europaeus Gorse Fabaceae: spiny evergreen shrub to 2m, found on heaths and grassy places, manly on acid soils. The flowers are about 2cm long, are bright yellow and a pleasant coconut scent, flowering all year round, but in full bloom between February-May. Widespread and common across the UK. Native to Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia to Spain. USES: Apparently the flower buds can be pickled in vinegar and then used like capers in salads, also a tea can be made from the shoot tips. Gorse has never played much of a role in herbal medicine, though its flowers have been used in the treatment of jaundice and as a treatment for scarlet fever in children, also the seed is said to be astringent and has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea and stones. Other Uses include: Dye, Fertilizer, and Fuel. Hedge, Insecticide, Pioneer, Soap making and Soil stabilization. GROWING INFORMATION: Although Common Gorse seeds have only a very shallow dormancy they have a very hard, water-impermeable seed coat and require pre-treatment for successful germination to occur. Without pre-treatment, it is likely that 10% or less of the seeds will germinate. A combination of a variety of seed pre-treatments can be necessary to make the seed coat permeable so that the seed embryo can take up water and begin to germinate. The first (and easiest) method is place the seeds in a heat proof container and pour boiling water over the seeds and leave them for 30 seconds followed by immediate immersion in cold water. Drain away the water and the seeds are ready to be sown. The remaining method is to physically breakthrough the seed coat by cutting or (k)nicking the edge of the seed with a knife or using a file or even rubbing them between layers of fine sandpaper. These methods can be used to break through the seed coat. Once you have done this soak the seeds in cold water for 12-24 hours and successfully treated seeds will have imbibed water and swollen. Any that have not could be scarified again followed by another water soak. Sow all the seeds, even those that remain small as they may germinate much later (perhaps years later), the seeds are very long lived and can remain viable in the field for 30 years. Sow in pots or seed trays of good quality compost at a depth of about 2cm (just less than 1 inch) The seed usually germinates in under 4 weeks at 15-20°C. It is important that temperatures or not greatly higher than this or germination will be reduced. The roots are delicate and seedlings should be individually potted up as soon as possible since plants quickly become intolerant of root disturbance. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise in late spring of the following year. Common Gorse tolerates (and often thrive best in) poor soils and growing conditions. In cultivation, they need little care and are very tough and resistant.