common gorse Fabaceae Ulex europaeus L. symbol: ULEU Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, awl-like to linear, 1/8 to 1/2 inch long (juvenile leaves are linear and longer), very stiff and sharp (thorn-like), dark green to gray-green. Flower: Attractive, yellow, pea-like, 1 inch long, appearing in spring in great abundance and to a lesser extent in the fall (or even year round depending on the climate). Entire shrub can turn yellow in the spring. Fruit: Gray, fuzzy, a short (1/2 to 1 inch) legume, dark brown, popping open when ripe ejecting seeds some distance (up to 15 feet). Twig: Stiff, green, angled, each twig ending in a sharp spine up to 2 inches long. Bark: Shallowly ridged and furrowed, somewhat scaly gray to orange-brown. Form: A dense, thicket-forming shrub up to 10 feet tall. A gorse thicket is practically impenetrable. Additional Range Information: Ulex europaeus is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting common gorse. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson