Whatever the time of year there are glorious coastal panoramic views from the pretty heathland of Incleborough Hill, literally one of Norfolk’s high points. Amid muted midwinter tones it’s a particularly lovely surprise to come across the golden fizz of furze flowers. Bright yellow gorse blossom’s warm coconut fragrance is reminiscent of holidays and Piña Coladas, a peachy sunshine scent sweetening Norfolk’s coastal paths even in the depths of winter.

On these tranquil slopes you’d never guess there are silent battles taking place right in front of your eyes. And the adversaries are plants.

There’s an old proverb ‘When the gorse is out of bloom, kissing’s out of season’, said with a wink, for gorse seems to flower all year. True love is never out of fashion! But the spiky plant’s erratic flowering pattern is a deliberate tactic in a relentless evolutionary war between the gorse and its nemesis, the gorse seed weevil. These pesky weevils love to munch gorse petals, but they hibernate in winter, so the cold weather blossoming is a sneaky ploy to outmanoeuvre the tiny enemy.

You might find the gorse cloaked in a web of crimson tendrils. This is the dodder plant, a parasite with no roots or leaves. Looking like a tangle of pink noodles, it rarely kills its host although can weaken it. Always spiralling anti-clockwise it’s known as Devil’s Guts, Witches’ Hair, Strangleweed, Hellbine or Wizard’s Net, names which tells you a lot about country folks’ opinion of this weird plant.