Blackthorn

Prunus spinosa

Rarely grows to 4m in height, it has dark bark and thorny shoots. Dense clusters of bright white flowers with red anthers appear in the spring before the leaves. The leaves are 3cm in length and appear dark from above. The berries appear in late August. Called sloes, they are about 1cm in size and ripen to nearly black but have a bluish powdery sheen on them. A native small tree or shrub, it is found on woodland edges and in hedges. It grows on most soils except for acid peat bogs.