Gorse - perennial shrubs and creeper plants from the legume family. They can be found in Western Europe and North West Africa. A dense green crown during flowering is richly covered with golden flowers. Photophilous gorse is planted on the slopes and around the perimeter of the lawn. He ennobles the garden and saturates it with bright colors. In addition, gorse is a medicinal plant, so not only pleases the eye, but also takes care of the health of its owners.
Botanical characteristics
Gorse - a perennial shrub, shrub or lignified liana. It can have smooth or thorny shoots. Many thin branches are covered with bright green smooth bark. The height of the plant can be from 30 cm to 1.7 m. The stems are erect or creeping. The lateral processes are located along their entire length. The branches are densely covered with small oblong-lanceolate leaves. Dark green leafy plates are smooth, but are sometimes covered with a short pile. Ternary or simple leaves on short petioles are arranged next.
At the age of 3-6 years, the gorse begins to bloom. Bright yellow racemose blossoms bloom in early June. They remain on the branches for 15-60 days. Axillary flowers are grouped at the ends of young branches. During flowering, the gorse is covered with a dense yellow veil, which hides all the green vegetation underneath. In August, fruit ripening begins. Branches adorn long narrow beans with shiny oblong seeds of brown-black color.
Plant species
According to international classification, the genus of gorse includes 125 species of plants. Some of them are suitable for cultivation in central Russia.
Woodwax. The plant is found in Western Siberia, Kazakhstan and the Middle East. A short, sprawling shrub does not have thorns and grows up to 1 m in height. Weakly branched, creeping shoots are covered with oblong, almost bare leaves. The length of narrow dark green leaves does not exceed 2.5 cm. Yellow flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences on the tops of young shoots. Flowering begins in June and lasts up to 65 days. After pollination, narrow, flattened beans ripen. Several decades ago, leaves and flowers were used to obtain yellow paint, for which the variety got its name.
German gorse. The thermophilic plant does not tolerate frost. Direct pubescent branches form a bush up to 60 cm high and up to 1.2 m wide. Lanceolate sessile leaves with felt pubescence on the reverse side are located on the shoots. In the place of attachment of the sheet is a long green spine. In early June, golden spike-shaped inflorescences bloom at the ends of the branches. They persist until August, and in October the fruits ripen. Seeds of this species germinate very poorly.
Spanish gorse. The plant forms a spherical spherical bush up to 50 cm high. Its dense bright green crown consists of shiny lanceolate leaves up to 1 cm long. Flowering takes place in 2 stages. For the first time, dense bright yellow inflorescences bloom in early June. Repeated and less abundant flowering occurs in late August. This species withstands frosts down to -20 ° C.
Lydian gorse. This variety is common in southern Europe, although it is able to withstand cooling to -15 ° C. Creeping shoots are located near the ground or beautifully fall from the mountain slopes. The branches are densely covered with small dark green oval leaves. Bright and abundant flowering occurs in April-June.
Breeding
Gorse propagates by seeds and cuttings. Seeds should be harvested in August, immediately after ripening. The ripened bean turns brown and cracks on its own. Seeds are dried and without preliminary preparation are planted in open ground to a depth of 2.5-3 cm. Plantings are sprinkled with earth and moderately watered. The first shoots appear in the spring. Flowering is expected no earlier than two years of age.
Some species reproduce better by cuttings. In June, apical cuttings 12-15 cm long are cut. They are rooted without preliminary treatment on moist sandy-peat soil. While the roots are forming, it is necessary to keep the seedlings under the hood or in the greenhouse. Only 30-40% of plants take root.
Care for gorse
Caring for gorse in open ground is simple. The plant is very unpretentious and develops by itself. For landing, you should choose a place on a slope or elevation. Gorse prefers loose, well-drained soils with a high content of sand and limestone. Only young plants can be transplanted. After three years of age, the roots grow so much that a painless transplant becomes impossible.
Drock's lifespan is not so long. A decade later, it stretches and exposes the branches, which negatively affects the decorativeness. To avoid this, the old bushes are replaced by young plants.
Gorse needs intensive lighting and is not afraid of direct sunlight. It should be planted in an open area. Under the shade of other trees, the branches bare faster, and flowering becomes sparse.
High temperatures do not scare the gorse, but it can suffer from frost. In the middle zone of Russia, bushes are covered with winter spruce and non-woven material for the winter. In snowy, mild winters, undersized species winter without shelter, but the upper branches often freeze.
Gorse is resistant to drought, but may suffer from excessive soil moisture. Usually he has enough natural rainfall. Watering is carried out only in the case of a long absence of rain.
To form a crown, pruning of the overgrown can be done. The beginning of spring is best suited for this procedure. Dense thickets can be given any shape. When working with prickly varieties, care should be taken not to injure yourself.
Beneficial features
Gorse flowers, stems and roots contain tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and essential oils. Official medicine does not use the plant due to its poor knowledge. In folk medicine in many countries, decoctions and alcohol tinctures from gorse are used as a diuretic, restorative, laxative and sedative. The drugs cleanse the body of toxins from the inside, and also help to destroy a skin infection and heal wounds.
Medicines from gorse are used to combat such diseases:
- hepatitis;
- rheumatism;
- allergic dermatitis;
- malaria;
- stomatitis;
- angina;
- bronchial asthma.
Warts and papillomas are treated with fresh juice to get rid of them.
However, gorse contains toxic substances, so treatment should not be abused. Especially dangerous is the use of drugs for pregnant and lactating women, children and hypertensive patients.
Garden plant
In landscape design, gorse is valued for its bright and abundant flowering. Bushes or small trees can be planted singly at the entrance to the house or along the fence. Creeping and stunted forms are suitable for decorating rocky slopes and hillocks of a southern or southeastern orientation. The branched rhizome strengthens the soil well and can be used to prevent soil shedding.
The plant is suitable for decoration rock gardens, rockeries and sometimes mixborders. When composing compositions, gorse is better combined with tree and shrub plants. It can be juniper, cotoneaster, euonymus, yew, barberry, elecampane or buzulnik.
