Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
This prickly bush has many names, including furze and whin. It blooms throughout the year but is at its very best in spring and early summer.
Rarely do gorse bushes grow more than three metres tall, and in exposed areas they tend to hug the ground and spread their branches widely while remaining less than a metre tall.
Gorse can be found on lowland rivers and streams in Wales, but it seems to do best of all in the middle and upper reaches of river valleys. Many kinds of birds live and feed within the safety of gorse bushes.
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