Gorse Bitter-pea

A wiry, prickly shrub with tiny sharp leaves and green stems. Turns the home garden or Box Ironbark forest into an orange blaze when flowering in spring.

Perfect for a neglected corner or shrub mass planting. Could even feature in a perennial border. Slow growing and can be difficult to maintain in the garden but worth the effort – an excellent low, prickly refuge and nesting site for small birds and valuable source of pollen and nectar for native bees. Can be tip pruned to increase density. Two sub-species occur in the Shire: D. ulicifolia supsp. ruscifolia (pictured above) and D. ulicifolia subsp. ulicifolia (now rare).