Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Ulex europaeus
Common name
Gorse, Furze
Family
Fabaceae
Where found
Forest, woodland, heath, grassy areas, roadsides, disturbed sites, rock outcrops, and along streams. Widespread, often along highways.
Notes
Introduced shrub to 4 m tall, occasionally sprawling under harsh conditions. Branches and 'leaves' with spiny tips. Stems ribbed, densely hairy, more or less glaucous when young. 'Leaves' alternating up the stems, 0.5-3.5 cm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, grooved lengthwise, hairless to hairy. Seedlings have compound leaves with 3 leaflets. Flowers with a distinct coconut smell (weakly smelled by some people), 15-20 mm long, pea shaped, with 5 yellow petals, 2 joined together to form the keel. Flowers throughout the year.
General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions all NSW. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ulex~europaeus (accessed 7 February, 2021)
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