Gorse, Whin or Furze?

What do you call this prickly evergreen shrub with it's vibrant yellow flowers?

The petals are edible and can be used to infuse into tea, make into wine or to garnish salads. I haven't tried making anything with them (yet) but we did plant several a few years ago as an edible windbreak for the ponies. As you can see, the tiny plantleys have done well and now serve their purpose.

'Prickly Hill' has gorse, hawthorn, brambles, dog roses and nettles, all enjoyed by browsing ponies. The flavour of the yellow flowers, for us,  is described as similar to coconut, floral vanilla and almond so I really should try to remember to sample them so I can confirm this either way. These prickly shrubs can grow on wind blasted hillsides, open moorland or even by the side of the more acidic peat moors, such as here at  Frugaldom. It's great for insects, pollinators, birds and other wildlife. I can highly recommend adding gorse into the mix if you are growing a wildlife friendly foraging garden.

Join us in the ko-fi club at www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom