Sally Caulwell’s gorse print beautifully captures the contrast between the rich golden-yellow of the flower with the dark green of it’s spiky foliage. This under-appreciated shrub, with the wonderful aroma of coconut had many valuable uses to our ancestors. Gorse or furze as it’s also known was once a rich winter feed for cattle. It was once cultivated by farmers particularly in areas where other fodder was scarce or hard to grow. An early flowering shrub it’s also an important food source for bees and insects as well as providing shelter for small birds such as Linnets, Warblers and Stonechats. The peaflowers had many culinary uses for humans also, the buds were collected like capers, the petals brewed for tea or used to flavour and colour rich golden Irish whiskey. The plant is rarely out of flower throughout the year, inspiring the old Irish saying “when gorse is out of blossom, kissing’s out of fashion”

One of a series of botanical illustrations based on Ireland's native hedgerows by Sally Caulwell. Other prints in the series include; Blackthorn, Wild Garlic, Burnett Rose, Snowdrop & Blackberry. The above information on Gorse was attained from Niall Mac Coitir's wonderful book Irish Wild Plants. 

Dimensions: A4 (210 x 297mm) or A3 (297 x 420mm) print on 340gsm uncoated paper. Print inset with a white border. The A4 print suits this handmade frame by Rocker Lane Workshop perfectly.