Genista hispanica
Spanish Gorse

Uses

Edible uses

There are no edible uses listed for Genista hispanica.

Material uses

Plants can be grown as a low hedge^[1]. A good ground cover for sunny positions^[2]. Plants take about 2 years to form an effective cover^[3]. They should be spaced about 60cm apart each way and can be pruned back hard if they become open or straggly with age^[4].

There are no material uses listed for Genista hispanica.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The flowers have been used in the treatment of dropsy^[5].

Unknown part

Diuretic

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Soil surface

Ecological Functions

Ground cover

Hedge

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

The seed requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown autumn in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow February in a cold frame. Good germination^[6]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Roots are formed in the spring^[7].

Cuttings of ripe wood, 5 - 10 cm with a heel, September/October in a frame. Good percentage. Plant out the following autumn^[6].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Genista hispanica. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Easily grown in a light well-drained soil in a sunny position^[8]. Prefers a rather dry stony or sandy soil and does better in one on the poor side^[7]. Established plants are drought tolerant^[2].

Plants are hardy to about -20°c^[9]. Resents root disturbance and should be planted into its permanent position whilst small^[7]. A very ornamental plant^[8], it grows well on the top of walls and on hot dry banks, covering them with a dense mass of prickly greenery^[10]. The flowers have a sweet refreshing perfume, like ripe apples or pineapples^[11]. Plants occasionally die back in the centre of the clump, especially after cold wet winters. Cut out the dead growth and layer living shoots into the gap^[12]. Closely related to G. tournefortii.

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby^[12].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Genista hispanica. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Genista hispanica.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0900629649 (1974-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent ISBN 0460045512 (1982-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1 Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. ISBN 0-304-31089-1 (1989-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)
? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)
? ^12.0^12.1^12.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PFAFimport-50

"image:Genista hispanica2.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-29-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0900629649 (1974-00-00)

[PFAFimport-190-2] ? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent ISBN 0460045512 (1982-00-00)

[PFAFimport-197-3] ? ^3.0^3.1 Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. ISBN 0-304-31089-1 (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-208-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-4-5] ? ^5.0^5.1 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-78-6] ? ^6.0^6.1 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-8] ? ^8.0^8.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-184-9] ? Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-182-10] ? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-245-11] ? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-12] ? ^12.0^12.1^12.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-50] ? Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PFAFimport-50

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Leguminosae +
Belongs to genus	Genista +
Functions as	Ground cover +, Hedge + and Nitrogen fixer +
Has binomial name	Genista hispanica +
Has common name	Spanish Gorse +
Has drought tolerance	Tolerant +
Has environmental tolerance	Drought +
Has fertility type	Bees +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone	6 +
Has image	Genista hispanica2.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	0.75 +
Has mature width	1.5 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Diuretic +
Has primary image	Genista hispanica2.jpg +
Has search name	genista hispanica + and spanish gorse +
Has shade tolerance	No shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preference	Sandy + and Loamy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomic rank	Species +
Has taxonomy name	Genista hispanica +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Soil surface +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
PFAF cultivation notes migrated	No +
PFAF edible use notes migrated	Yes +
PFAF material use notes migrated	No +
PFAF medicinal use notes migrated	No +
PFAF propagation notes migrated	No +
PFAF toxicity notes migrated	Yes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.	Genista hispanica +