Gorse

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Gorse (lat. Genista) - a genus of semi-shrubs, shrubs and lianas of the Legume family. The genus has about 100 species. Plants are found naturally in the Mediterranean, North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Common types and their characteristics

* English gorse (lat. Genista anglica) - the species is represented by shrubs with a height of 0.5-0.8 m. The leaves are trifoliate, densely pubescent. The flowers are whitish or yellow, collected in racemose inflorescences. Vegetation period: April to mid-October. English gorse blooms in May-June, flowering lasts about three weeks. Plants enter fruiting in the third year after planting. Typical habitats in nature are peat heaths.

* German gorse (Latin Genista germanica) - the species is represented by shrubs up to 120 cm high. The branches are straight, pubescent. Leaves are sessile, lanceolate, up to 2 cm long, ciliate-pubescent edges, equipped with green spines at the base. The flowers are golden yellow, collected in racemose inflorescences located at the ends of almost every shoot. German gorse blooms in June-July, flowering lasts 3-5 weeks. The fruits ripen in the first or second decade of October. Fruit ripening occurs simultaneously with the growth of shoots. The seeds of the species in question almost do not germinate; green cuttings are used as planting material. In nature, the plant is found in forests (pine and birch forests) of the European part of Russia and in many European countries. German gorse cannot boast of cold-resistant properties; it needs shelter for the winter.

* Lydian gorse (Latin Genista lydia) - the species is represented by creeping evergreen shrubs. Very decorative, great for rock gardens and dry rocky walls. Lydian gorse blooms from April to June. It transfers frosts down to -15C, requires shelter for the winter. Typical habitats in nature are calcareous and stony hills. It is grown in large quantities in Bulgaria, Turkey and Syria.

* Radiant gorse (lat. Genista radiata) - the species is represented by a straight shrub 40-80 cm high. Shoots are numerous, ribbed, have no thorns. The leaves are trifoliate, dark green, composed of oblong leaves. The flowers are yellow, collected in short clusters that form at the ends of the shoots. Radiant gorse blooms in May-June. The fruit is an oval-pointed pod up to 1-1.2 cm long, contains 1-2 seeds. Seeds are dark brown with shine, ripen in September-October. The species in question is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Under natural conditions, radiant gorse is found on clay-rocky hills. Looks harmoniously in curb and single plantings, as well as in rocky gardens.

* Spanish gorse (lat. Genista hispanica) - the species is represented by evergreen shrubs with numerous straight stems, prickly at the base. The leaves are bright green, rounded, trifoliate. The flowers are bright yellow, fragrant, formed on the leafless tops of the stems. The fruit is a flat polyspermous pod. The homeland of the species is considered to be Spain and France, the Spanish gorse has spread in the Crimea, where it is gradually running wild. Plants bloom in the second or third year after planting. Long-term flowering, it can bloom again closer to autumn. The species is not winter-hardy, withstands frosts down to -10C.

Growing conditions

The gorse is photophilous and drought-resistant, grows well in intensely lit areas, some species are able to develop normally in partial shade. Soils for growing crops are desirable stony, limed and dry sandy loam. Does not accept gorse waterlogged, waterlogged and highly acidic soils. The gorse is relatively frost-resistant, but in cold winters the shoots freeze to the soil surface.

Reproduction and transplantation

Sowing gorse seeds is carried out in the fall or spring. Seeds do not need preliminary stratification. Seedlings appear unevenly, after sowing it takes about 2-2.5 months. It is important to regularly water and remove weeds prior to emergence.

Cutting is a more efficient way of breeding drocks. Cuttings are cut in June. Cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. Before planting, the cuttings must be treated with growth stimulants. It is best to repot the drake in early spring or August.

Care

The care consists in the standard procedures for all ornamental shrubs, or rather, in weeding, loosening the soil in the near-trunk zone, rare watering and sanitary pruning. Most types of drakes do not need shaping scraps, since they have rather compact forms. Too old specimens are subjected to anti-aging pruning. All work with gorse should be carried out with gloves, since the plants contain toxic substances (sidetein, anagirin, sparteine, cytisine and methylcytisine).