Birds love building nests in the tree. Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a berry producing tree native to Great Britain and throughout most of Europe, from Scandinavia south and east to the Mediterranean, Siberia and Iran.With such an extensive habitat, there must be some innovative uses for blackthorn berries and other interesting tidbits of information about blackthorn … Blackthorn usually grows less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) tall and has numerous small deciduous leaves. widest in the middle and tapering equally at both ends), with small teeth regularly spaced along the leaf margin. Blackthorn, also called sloe bush, is part of the large Prunus family, like the apricot tree, plum tree, almond tree, peach tree and cherry tree.It actually can be used as a graft-holder for apricot trees, plum trees and peach trees.. Similar to Hawthorn and often grows alongside it; the two trees have very similar flowers but blackthorn flowers about 6-7 weeks before hawthorn and has bluish black berries, hawthorn has red berries. Blackthorn tree (Prunus spinosa) Origin The blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a small native wild plum. 112-84*3, from seed, is 25 years old [2] Blackthorn, also called sloe, is native to native to … Blackthorn has, perhaps, the most sinister reputation in Celtic tree lore. Prunus spinosa is a large deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5 metres (16 ft) tall, with blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches. Adapted with small revisions from The Summer Key To Pennsylvania Trees, which is part of the Pennsylvania 4 - … Blackthorn or Sloe – Prunus spinosaFamily Rosaceae – Rose Family; Fruit TreesThe legendary Irish cudgel, (or walking stick) the Shillelagh, is most frequently made from this wood. Blackthorn twigs are not shiny, with thorns usually more than 2cm long and held at right angles. Blackthorn – sinister tree of the dark side. This provides the buckthorn novice with better odds to correctly identify buckthorn compared to the valuable native trees and … What to look for in winter. University of Maryland Extension . The blackthorn is associated with the dark side of the year. Jonathan S. Kays Extension Specialist - Natural Resources . Many of our native trees and shrubs change leaf color and begin dropping their leaves in fall. Custom Search Blackthorn bush, Morton Arboretum acc. It is a prickly shrub with long thorns that can cause septic flesh wounds. The white flowers, about 2 The cooler temperatures of fall make it a great season to work on removing buckthorn. Its dense growth makes it suitable for hedges. Blackthorn, (Prunus spinosa), spiny shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae), native to Europe but cultivated in other regions. The flowers are about 1.5 centimetres (1 ⁄ 2 in) in diameter, with … There are several helpful identification … Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), also known as 'sloe', is a small deciduous tree native to the UK and most of Europe. Known as Straif ancient Ireland, it’s thought to be the origin of the word ‘strife’. Leaves: 1.5-4cm long, elliptical (i.e. The sharp thorns protect eggs and hatchlings from predators such as … Blackthorn and Hawthorn are two of the most common trees to be found in gardens and the British countryside. Their bitter-sour fruits do not become tender until autumn after the first night frosts – but are still quite acidic even then. The two can be hard to tell apart in winter when berries and leaves are gone. Tree Identification - Made Easy? The buds are hairy, and the leaf scar below the bud looks like … The leaves are oval, 2–4.5 centimetres (0.79–1.77 in) long and 1.2–2 centimetres (0.47–0.79 in) broad, with a serrated margin. 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