Kissing's back in fashion!

There’s an old countryside saying that “when the whin’s out of flower, kissing’s out of fashion”.  We should be very relieved then to discover that whin, gorse or furze, as it is also known, is one of the few plants in Ireland which can flower at almost any time of the year.  It is in the spring and early summer though that the strongly coconut scented, yellow flowers are at their most striking.

In Ireland whin is traditionally associated with Easter.  Before the days of chocolate eggs, hen’s eggs were dyed using whin blossom added to the pot as they boiled.

The traditional uses of whin are many and varied from baking bread to making soap. Whin flowers are edible and can be used in salads and teas and even to make wine.  The branches themselves used to be crushed and used as animal feed in Scotland and Wales where it was said to keep horses coats shiny and pigs happy.  Whin stems, although not substantial, were highly prized as a fuel for bread ovens and lime kilns.  Their high oil content meant that they burned with more heat than other wood.  The ashes of burnt whin are rich in alkali and they were sometimes used for washing, either in a solution or mixed with clay to form balls like soap.  Another wash-day association is that whin bushes near to farm houses were used in the past to dry clothes, the thorns preventing the washing escaping in the wind.  Branches have been used to harrow crops, clear chimneys and even as damp-proofing to keep haystacks off the ground.

There are two types of whin or gorse in Northern Ireland – European and Western.  European whin is a taller plant reaching 2-3m in height and is widespread throughout the country.  Western gorse typically grows to a height of less than 50cm.  It is found most commonly at higher altitudes such as the Mournes and Slieve Gullion and on exposed coastal heathland such as that on Rathlin and the North Coast.

Whin thrives best in poor growing conditions.  It is able to fix nitrogen from the air like peas and clover and this gives it an advantage over other shrubs and trees in nutrient poor, shallow soils.  Its ability to hang on in relatively exposed upland areas makes it extremely valuable for shelter.  Whin hedges – although often difficult to establish, provide excellent stock control with their tight thorny branches forming an impenetrable barrier.  This is only fully appreciated by those who’ve attempted to cut them back by hand.  Whin is great for wildlife too.  Many birds such as whinchats and stonechats make their nests among the thorny branches and call and display from the tops of the bushes.  

For further information on whin and its management under agri-environment schemes, contact your local Countryside Management Adviser.

The bright yellow, coconut scented flowers of whin can be found at almost any time of the year but it is in spring time that they really come into their own.