Western gorse
Description: Known in Manx as Aittin gaelagh or Conney Gaelagh, Western Gorse is native to the Isle of Man and was used for winter fodder and fuel before the arrival on the Island of the shrubbier European Gorse. Mills set up specially to crush to gorse and make it more palatable to livestock were once common here.
Western Gorse is a more compact, lower growing shrub than European Gorse and it flowers later in the summer, often together with heather, making the Manx hills and coasts distinctively colourful. Bumblebees and other insects take advantage of the late season abundance of nectar, especially on coastal heaths.
Date found: 1931-09-05
Taxonomic name: Ulex gallii
Collection: Natural History Botany Collection
ID number: 2010-0027/459