Gorse Hedging
£12.00
Common gorse can be seen in all kinds of habitats, from heaths and coastal grasslands to towns and gardens. It generally flowers from January to June (although it may flower sporadically throughout the year), while its close relatives – Western gorse and dwarf gorse – flower from July to November. Common gorse is a large shrub and a member of the pea family.
It provides shelter and food for many insects and birds, such as Dartford warblers, stonechats and yellowhammers.
How to identify
Common gorse is a large, evergreen shrub, covered in needle-like leaves and distinctive, coconut-perfumed, yellow flowers during the spring and summer. There are three similar species of gorse in the UK: common gorse is widespread and flowers form January to June; western gorse flowers in late summer and autumn and is mainly found in western UK; dwarf gorse flowers later and is mainly found in Southern and Eastern England.
