Common gorse (ulex europaeus) is a shrub native to this part of Suffolk.
Its spiky yellow flowers, with a scent of coconut and vanilla, are a cheerful sight in winter: gorse flowers mainly from January to June but also sporadically throughout the year, leading to the old saying: “When gorse is out of bloom, kissing is out of season”!
Gorse is an invaluable habitat for wildlife, providing food for bees and other insects when pollen and nectar are scarce, cover for deer and other mammals, and a dense winter refuge for many bird species, including stonechat, linnet, yellowhammer – or even, with luck, a Dartford warbler.
On our heaths and commons the gorse (historically known as furze) was once harvested to burn as domestic fuel, and also for animal fodder as it is a member of the pea family and high in protein. Regular cutting kept the gorse in good condition. Now that it is no longer cut for use, it tends to die back, often from below, leaving sparse, ‘leggy’ bushes which are unhealthy, a poor nesting habitat and also an increased fire risk.
There are a number of patches of gorse on the BCOST’s land at Jasper’s Pightle, and our management of the land includes cyclical work to keep the gorse in good condition. We do this by cutting out dead and dying shrubs, which can then be used elsewhere for dry hedging.
Their removal opens up areas among the bushes where sunlight is let in, encouraging new, healthy growth, whether of gorse or of other vegetation.
Blaxhall Commons and Open Spaces Charitable Trust 