Gorse / Furze - Identification LC0192 Elspeth Swan (DSE Ballarat) and Ian Faithfull (DPI Frankston) ISSN 1329-833X

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October 2004 Gorse / furze - identification LC0192 Elspeth Swan (DSE Ballarat) and Ian Faithfull (DPI Frankston) ISSN 1329-833X

This Landcare Note describes the weed gorse, also known as furze, Ulex europaeus.

See the Landcare Note LC0380: Gorse- management for information about the management of this weed.

Figure 3. Gorse foliage, flowers, pods and base of plant. Common name Figure 1. Gorse in flower Gorse, furze Scientific name Ulex europaeus L. Family: Fabaceae (pea family) Description An erect, spiny, much-branched, perennial shrub up to 3m high, forming dense thickets; reproducing by seed. Stems - green when young, brown and woody when mature, longitudinally ridged and hairy; covered with spines and bearing short branchlets terminated with spines. Leaves - dark-green, stalkless, narrow, stiff, with a sharp spine at the tip; 1 to 2.5 cm long; occurring in whorled Figure 2. Gorse infestation. clusters uniformly spaced along the branches and

© State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries Page 1 Gorse / furze - identification LC0192 branchlets. Flowers - bright yellow, pea-like, fragrant Distribution (reportedly smelling like coconut), mainly found in leaf axils; often forming clusters at the ends of young stems. Fruit - hairy, oblong pods, 1 to 2 cm long, green when young but turning dark, containing two to six seeds. Seeds – green (when new) to olive, brown or black (when mature), smooth, shiny, hard, 3mm long, heart-shaped. Roots – a mat formed by a few deep roots and numerous shallow roots.

Figure 5 . Records of gorse in Victoria. Lifecycle Seeds germinate in autumn and spring and young plants flower when about 18 months old. Flowers can occur throughout the year but there are two main flowering periods, in autumn and late winter-spring. Seeds are released when pods mature with peak releases during hot, dry weather. Plants can live for up to 30 years. Habitat and land use Higher rainfall (650-900 mm+ per annum) temperate regions, free from severe frosts; on a wide range of soil types preferings low fertility acid soils. Common on roadsides, unimproved pastures, creek banks, hillsides, neglected areas and forest margins. Invades dry coastal vegetation, heathland and heathy woodland, lowland grassland and grassy woodland, dry and damp sclerophyll Figure 4. Pods and seed. forest and riparian and rock outcrop vegetation. Similar species Dispersal There are about 20 species of Ulex, native to Europe and Seeds can be ejected up to 5 m from the plant when the North Africa. Gorse is the only species naturalised in mature pods burst. Dense infestations can produce up to 6 Australia, although dwarf gorse, Ulex minor, is present in million seeds per hectare per year. Seed is spread by cultivation. Gorse might be confused with some native grazing animals, birds, ants, vehicles, hikers, farm shrubs with leaves that are reduced to spines. However implements, slashers, earthmoving equipment and during gorse has the following unique combination of features: all road making, especially in contaminated soil, and may also the mature stems and leaves are terminated by sharp be washed down creeks or drainage lines. Seed can lie spines, the flowers have all ten stamens fused into a tube dormant in the soil for 25 years or more and may be and the pods are densely hairy. stimulated to germinate by disturbance, fire or exposure to light. Low branches of gorse may take root in moist soil. Flowering Period References Jeanes, J.A. (1996) Fabaceae. Pp. 663-829 in N.G. Walsh & T.J. Entwisle (Eds.), Flora of Victoria Volume 3. Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae. Melbourne, Inkata Press. Parsons, W.T. and Cuthbertson, E.G. (2001) Noxious Weeds of Australia. 2nd Ed., Collingwood, Vic., CSIRO Publishing. Acknowledgements Fig. 3, H. Stanislawska; map John Weiss.

Origin This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without Native to central and Western Europe. Originally flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular introduced as an ornamental and once widely planted as a purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or hedgerow species. other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.