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Species
Information
- common
gorse
- Ulex
europaeus L.
- USDA
Symbol: ULEU
- Oregon
Noxious Weed Designation: B, T
- Pictures
ALERT: PLEASE CALL 1-866-INVADER IF YOU SUSPECT YOU HAVE FOUND THIS SPECIES
Identification:
Perennial; blooms March to May. Grows 1-9 ft tall. A stiff, spiny, much-branched shrub, often forming dense thickets. Branches dark green, spine-tipped, with clusters of yellow pea-like flowers near the ends.
Impacts:
Gorse is a persistant, spiney, pioneer species adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. Plant growth and stand density increase at a rapid rate, crowding out native plants, impacting forest production, inhabiting parklands and pastures, and rendering infested land unusable. Control costs are high and reinfestation is a constant problem. Gorse stands develop a long-lived persistent seed bank requiring long-term management of established sites. High levels of natural oils in the spines make this plant highly flamable and an extreme fire hazard.
Biological
Controls: Two biological control agents, a seed weevil and a spider mite, have been approved for release and are established in Oregon, however, they have not been effective at controlling populations in the state and are not recommended.
Oregon
Maps of Gorse Distribution
Links:
USDA
Plants Database information on gorse
GRIN
Database information on gorse
Oregon Department
of Agriculture information on gorse
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