About Ulex minor Roth
Ulex minor, commonly called dwarf furze or dwarf gorse, is an evergreen dwarf shrub belonging to the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to eastern England, France, Spain, and Portugal, and is only found in lowland heathland habitats. It typically grows around 30 centimeters (10 inches) tall, but can reach up to 1 meter (40 inches) when growing in shaded, ungrazed conditions. As a low-growing shrub, it forms small bushes or often grows mixed in with heather. Its true leaves are reduced to scales or small spines, while its shoots are modified into fairly soft, green, densely packed spines that measure about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) long. Its flowers are yellow, 1–2 centimeters (0.4–0.8 inches) long, and have the characteristic structure of a pea flower. Flowering occurs mainly in late summer and autumn, and rarely begins before July. Its fruit is a legume pod, which is partially enclosed by the pale brown remains of the original flower. Because its spines are relatively soft, dwarf furze is easily grazed by both livestock and wild herbivores. The distribution ranges of dwarf furze and its close relative western gorse (Ulex gallii) barely overlap, even when they grow in similar habitats.
