[4] Young seedlings produce normal leaves for the first few months; these are trifoliate, resembling a small clover leaf.

It was introduced to New Zealand from Britain as a type of hedge, but became a major blight to farmers as the climate suited its growth better than its native habitat and many of its natural predators were absent.

Common gorse is also an invasive species in the montane grasslands of Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka.

Cultivars include 'Strictus' (Irish gorse), a dwarf form, and the double-flowered, non-fruiting 'Flore Pleno', which has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[3] Lectin extracted from seeds of this species binds to, is remarkably specific for, and is the standard method for identification of H substance (absent in the hh antigen system) on human red blood cells.