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Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

A spiny, pea-flowered shrub that forms dense, flammable thickets in cool temperate pasture and bushland, especially in Tasmania and Victoria.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Western Europe.

Established in: NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: Furze.

Identification

  • Dense shrub to 4 m with green stems and rigid spines in place of most leaves.
  • Bright yellow pea flowers with a coconut smell.
  • Hairy black pods that pop open and throw seed.

Where it grows

Pasture, roadsides, riverbanks and forest edges in cool, high-rainfall areas.

Why it matters

  • Harbours rabbits and foxes.
  • Highly flammable.
  • Restricts stock and machinery access.

How it spreads

  • Seed thrown from pods, then moved by water, soil and machinery.
  • Long-lived seed bank.

Control options

  • Mechanical clearing followed by treatment of regrowth.
  • Foliar or cut stump treatment with registered herbicides.
  • Establish competitive pasture after clearing.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean earthmoving gear and slashers after working in infested areas.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): Weed of National Significance. One of 32 nationally agreed priority weeds, managed through national strategies with all states and territories.
  • Queensland: Prohibited matter. Report it to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 within 24 hours and do not move or deal with it. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Sale prohibited; Regional priority in 9 of 11 regions. It must not be imported into NSW or sold anywhere in the state. Regional priority weed in Central Tablelands, Greater Sydney, Hunter, Murray, North Coast, North West, Northern Tablelands, Riverina, South East. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Regionally controlled / regionally prohibited / regionally restricted weed (varies by region). Where it is regionally prohibited, landowners must take all reasonable steps to eradicate it on their land. Where it is regionally controlled, landowners must take all reasonable steps to prevent its growth and spread on their land. Where it is a restricted weed, trade in it (including the plant, its seed or contaminated material) is prohibited.
  • South Australia: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C2, C3). C2 Eradication: present in limited areas and targeted for eradication. C3 Management: landholders must manage it to reduce its impact and stop it spreading.
  • Tasmania: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Declared pest, prohibited. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT. Dealing with it, such as selling, moving or keeping it, is prohibited.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources