ORIGIN

W. Europe to Italy

COMMON NAME

Gorse

BOTANICAL NAME

Ulex europaeus

IDENTIFICATION

Shrub, to 3 m high, densely branched in younger parts, eventually bare at base. Spiny. Leaves very prickly, yellow flowers (Jan)-May-Nov-(Dec).

HABITATS

Common in disturbed areas. Grassland, shrubland, forest margins, coastal habitats and waste places. Locally abundant and widespread.

IMPACT TO BIOTA AND ECOSYSTEMS

Agricultural pest plant that may be useful as a nursery crop, where mature gorse plants allow light through to native seedlings which will eventually grow to dominate the gorse.

DISPERSAL ROUTES, VECTORS, INFESTATION SOURCES

Long-lived seed. Originally planted as a hedging plant. Burning gorse provides an ideal seed bed.

MANAGEMENT

Physical Control
Dig out or rotary slash.

Disposal

Chemical Control
Exclude stock from area to be sprayed. Hard grazed gorse or recently slashed gorse is difficult to control because of lack of foliage available to take up the herbicide. Active growth is more susceptible to spraying. Spray from Nov-Feb for the most reliable results. Spray coverage must be complete to point of run-off on both leaves and stems. Graze regrowth if appropriate.

For further information and more detailed cemical control methods please refer to Environment Bay of Plenty's Fact Sheet PP05-Gorse

Biological Control
Several insect have been introduced to attack Gorse, all are native of Europe.

Gorse seed weevil (Exapion ulicis) first imported in 1926 and are now abundant in most areas.

Gorse soft shoot moth (Agonopterix ulicetella) first imported in 1983

Gorse spider mites (Tetranychus lintearius) first imported in 1988

Gorse thrips (Sericothrips staphylinus) first imported in 1989

Gorse pod moth (Cydis ulicetana) first imported in 1989

Gorse colonial hard shoot moth (Pempelia genistella) first imported in 1995

Two native insects that attack gorse are Gorse stem miner (Anisoplaca ptyoptera) and Lemon tree borer (Oemona hirta)

For further information click on link to Landcare Research Site Invasive Weed: Gorse

Recommended Approach

FURTHER COMMENT

For further information please refer to Environment Bay of Plenty's Fact Sheet PP05-Gorse

This plant is prohibited from propagation, sale and distribution within the Bay of Plenty!