Bruised gorse was used in some areas for feeding to horses and other livestock.

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.
 The vast majority of humans express H-substance, which is the basis for the ABO blood group system, but a few rare individuals ("Bombay phenotype") do not—and a chemical isolated from Ulex europaeus is used to identify these individuals.
This lectin is also used as a marker for human vascular endothelial cells, and as a tool for their isolation for in-vitro culture.

It fixes nitrogen into the soil.
Bruised gorse was used in some areas for feeding to horses and other livestock.
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.  The vast majority of humans express H-substance, which is the basis for the ABO blood group system, but a few rare individuals ("Bombay phenotype") do not—and a chemical isolated from Ulex europaeus is used to identify these individuals. This lectin is also used as a marker for human vascular endothelial cells, and as a tool for their isolation for in-vitro culture.
It fixes nitrogen into the soil.
Ulex europaeus