Woody > Ulex > Ulex europaeus > Ulex europaeus
Ulex europaeus
Common Gorse, Furze or Whin
| Family |
| Fabaceae |
| Genus |
| Ulex |
| Species |
| europaeus |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| Height |
| 2-3 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Habitat |
| Western Europe |
| Leaf Description |
| The young stems are green, with the shoots and leaves modified into green spines, 1-3 cm long. Young seedlings produce normal leaves for the first few months; these are trifoliate, resembling a small clover leaf. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are yellow, 1-2 cm long, with the typical pea-flower structure; they are produced throughout the year, but mainly in the early spring. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is a legume 2 cm long, dark purplish-brown, partly enclosed by the pale brown remnants of the flower; the pod contains 2-3 small blackish seeds, which are released when the pod splits open in hot weather. |
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