Gorse is very prickly!

[heleninwales]

2/52 for the group 2026 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: B is for Barbed

My first thought for the theme was barbed wire, but I didn't see any I could make a decent photo of. Fortunately today on our walk I spotted some gorse bushes which are naturally barbed.



I'll post more photos of the walk tomorrow when I have more time.

Comments

[angelofthenorth]

Gorse always makes me think of the crown of thorns

[heleninwales]

Now you mention it, it does. I hadn't thought of that before.

I like the way you can find gorse blooming throughout the year, though it's at its more glorious in the summer, some gorse flowers even in the depth of winter.

[cmcmck]

Our gorse has been flowering recently which is just crazy!

[heleninwales]

There are different varieties of gorse so you can find it in flower at any time of year. The most luxuriant displays are in the summer, but the winter flowering varieties add a bit of colour to the drab winter landscape.

[cmcmck]

Ours is Summer flowering so this is a bit odd.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I've heard of using gorse as a living fence, but it seems a bit ... escape prone for that. Sloe seems more feasible.

[heleninwales]

I've never seen gorse used as a hedge. It's a bit too wayward and awkward to manage for that. As you say, blackthorn (sloe) or hawthorn are the usual choice for a prickly hedge.