Blackthorn
Blackthorn, common name for a plant of the rose family, related to plums. Blackthorn is a deciduous shiny shrub, or occasionally a small tree, reaching a height of 6 m (18 ft). It is native to hedges and the edges of forests in Europe but cultivated elsewhere. It produces numerous suckers (shoots) around the base of the main stems and easily forms dense thickets. The thorny twigs are smooth and blackish in colour. Alternate, oval, toothed leaves are 2 to 4.5 cm long. The white, five-petalled flowers are solitary but numerous along the twigs, appearing before the leaves. Indeed, the blackthorn is one of the first shrubs to flower in spring. The blue-black drupes (fleshy fruits) have a distinctive bloom like that of grapes. Although not cultivated, blackthorn wood is used for a few items such as shillelaghs (wooden sticks traditionally used as weapons in Ireland) and walking sticks. The fruits, called sloes, are collected from the wild; they are very tart-tasting but are used in preserves and liqueurs, in particular sloe gin. A variety of birds and animals, including badgers and foxes, eat the fruits and disperse the seeds.
Scientific classification: Blackthorn is classified as Prunus spinosa, of the family Rosaceae.
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