| Blackthorn - Prunus spinosa
   Blackthorn - Prunus spinosa© Robin Chittenden www.harlequinpictures.co.ukBlackthorn is a large, sprawling, deciduous shrub that suckers readily and produces a very effective spiny hedge. The single, white flowers are among the first to be seen in hedgerows from March and their appearance often seems to coincide with a period of bad weather, the so-called 'blackthorn winter'. These 'heralds of spring' attract early insects to pollinate them. The fruit - round blue-black sloe berries - have a powdery bloom and a damson-like (but incredibly bitter!) flavour and are used to make sloe gin. The bark is black with long, quite vicious spines and the small leaves are serrated and dull green in colour. This is a very adaptable plant which will grow almost anywhere. It has traditionally been used with hawthorn as the main components of a mixed hedgerow. Blackthorn is very valuable to birds as a nesting site. Blackbird, song thrush, finches, common whitethroat and wood pigeon are among the more common users. AnimalsBlackbird, Blackcap, Brimstone moth, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Chinese character moth, Greenfinch, Lackey moth, Lesser yellow underwing moth, Long-tailed tit, Magpie moth, Song thrush, Swallowtailed moth, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Yellow-tail moth, Yellowhammer | Foliage | Green | | Flower | White, March to May | | Moisture |  (Average) | | Sunlight |   (Full sun to Part-shade) | | Origin | Native |
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