Also known as furze, gorse is a shrub in the pea family, Leguminosae. Native to Europe and widely cultivated, its dense branches are dark green and spiny. The plant grows up to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall or more in sunny areas with sandy or gravelly soil. Its yellow flowers are showy and are produced continuously in mild climates. The plants are sometimes used to stabilize dry banks.
Gorse bushes are very common along the coastline of Britain, where custom dictates that every hundred yards or so there should be a pair of grubby panties hanging from one.
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