Gorse Flower

How To ID Me And What I’m Good For?

My ID Features:

Flowers

Leaves

Seeds

Gorse Flower

Latin Name - Ulex sp.

Common Names - Gorse, Furze, or Whin.

Season - All year.

Edible bits - Flowers only (peas & flowers pods are toxic).

Habitat - Particularly likes poor soil. Can be found almost anywhere.

Family - Fabaceae.

Possible Confusion - Hard to confuse with other species. There are 3 main Ulex species in the UK. Gorse [Ulex Europaeus], Western Gorse [Ulex Gallii], Dwarf Gorse [Ulex Minor]. It is possible Gorse could also be confused with Broom [Cytisus Scoparius] and its maritime subspecies, though the flowers from this shrub are also edible.

Description - A year-round flowering evergreen which is incredibly common in the UK. It is actually a member of the pea family. The peas and pods are considered toxic and one should only pick the open yellow flowers. We've found the flavour of the flowers to change massively over the year. In warmer months they taste of coconut. A local distillery here in Dorset only picks them on sunny days. After the distillation process they apparently smell of cats urine if picked on rainy days. Gorse is said to make a lovely wine. That’s still something we’re yet to try.

Physical Characteristics - A lover of acidic soils. They are a densely spiny, evergreen shrub, forming impenetrable thickets. Seedlings have clover like leaves but older plants are leafless. They have deeply grooved though spines that range from, 10-30mm long. The Calyx (Outer casing of the flower) is split in to 2 and is greenish and hairy.

Medicinal Qualities - None known.

Harvesting Sustainability - Gorse is a massively abundant shrub that is an important source of nectar for insects. You're unlikely to cause much damage by picking some flowers and are certainly unlikely to do any damage to the plant due to its protective thorns.

Safety Note - Warnings against overconsumption are valid, as they contain the presence of toxic alkaloids.

Never munch on a hunch! Volf takes no responsibility for anything consumed.

Now For The Tasty Bit!

Here Are Our Delicious Recipes Using Gorse Flower