Gorse + Flower Syrup Recipe

While Gorse is an incredibly useful plant with a rich history of uses in Britain, here in Aotearoa it’s classed as a serious pest, spreading rapidly and dominating native ecosystems. I want to be clear that I do not encourage the planting of Gorse. But since it’s already here in abundance, here are some safe and respectful ways to make use of it.

A bit of history:

Gorse belongs to the legume or pea family and was originally introduced to New Zealand as a hedging plant. In Britain it was used as a nitrogen fixer to restore degraded soils and for everything from feeding animals to making soap and enriching the earth. Unfortunately, here it’s gone beyond just hedging and it’s run wild.

The silver lining is that Gorse actually protects and shelters regenerating native bush. It acts as a natural nurse crop, and once native plants grow tall enough to shade it out, it dies back and nourishes the soil.

Foraging Gorse Flowers:

You’ll spot Gorse everywhere from roadsides to farmland, with its unmistakable bright yellow blooms and very spiky stems. Gorse flowers all year round, but always forage carefully, and only pick on warm dry days, as moisture causes the flowers to decompose quickly.

The flowers have a mild vanilla / coconut aroma and add a lovely floral touch to wild brews, syrups, and salads. A little goes a long way. Remember that Gorse contains mildly toxic alkaloids, so it should be consumed in moderation.

Gorse Flower Syrup Recipe

Perfect in cocktails, fizzy water, or drizzled over desserts.

~ Sterilise a 1L jar and fill it with dry gorse flowers.

~ In a pot, bring 500 ml water and 500 g sugar to a boil and stir to dissolve.

~ Cool slightly, then pour over the flowers.

~ Submerge all flowers under the liquid and steep overnight.

~ Strain through muslin, add a splash of lemon, bottle, and refrigerate.

A word of caution: Do not confuse Gorse with Broom, which has similar flowers but no thorns. Broom is toxic and should never be eaten.

Gorse may be wild and invasive, but it’s here. Like many so-called weeds, it offers utility, and even surprising ecological benefits when managed respectfully. Let’s make the most of what’s already growing without adding more.

You’ll find out more on Gorse, how to identify it, and many other wild edible plants in my Wet Season Foraging Guide.