Selbourne Field Guide Entry
Goss (Furze)
Category:
flora
“Goss” is a dialect term for gorse, also known as furze.
Field Description
A dense, spiny shrub with vivid yellow flowers, often strongly scented. Forms impenetrable thickets on heathland.
In White’s Landscape
Gorse was an essential resource:
- cut for fuel
- used in lime burning
- part of the managed heath system
Notes
White’s pairing of “furze, goss” reflects both formal and local vocabulary for the same plant.