Plant of the day: gorse

I spotted these mounded, dark green bushes covered with yellow flowers as I drove north on Highway One.

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This is gorse (Ulex europaeus), a nasty invasive with yellow pea-like flowers and unpleasant spikes instead of leaves. It was introduced–perhaps deliberately–from western Europe, where I have heard that it was trimmed into hedgerows that made effective fences. Here, this invasive species is very hard to get rid of once it’s established–so if you see any getting started on your property, get rid of it right away.