Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, is a shrubby plant often found growing wild in the British countryside. It is also frequently incorporated into field boundaries as a hedging plant, because the dense woody stems that are covered with long thorns form an effective, stock-proof barrier. It's a member of the rose family and is thought to be the wild form of the plant from which cultivated plums are descended. The shrub is deciduous and when the leaves are lost in winter, the dark grey-brown bark of the plant make it look black from a distance - hence the name. The creamy white flowers of blackthorn, characteristically, appear before the leaves unfurl, and for a few ...  Read the complete review