Good for wildlife and gin. (Blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa))

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa)
Date:	05/02/09 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good defender hedge

Disadvantages: Thorns

Why am I writing about Blackthorn? Well if you want to plant a blackthorn hedge once the snow clears will be a good time. Blackthorn bushes are best planted between November and February.

Blackthorn Prunus spinosa is well know as it produces the sloe A small black purple blue plum like fruit .. This bush is deciduous bush growing to 5 meters tall. Its branches have many sharp thorns.
This bush/small tree looks magnificent in late March and April with its 5 petaled creamy white blossom flowers. These flowers are about 1.5cm in diameter. The flowers are on the bush just before the leaves come out.
Bees will buzz round these flowers gathering nectar for themselves and pollinating the flowers.
The fruit will form and can be harvested in October November.

I have a blackthorn bush in the hedge at the bottom of my garden. No not to use to make sloe gin, but for the butterflies. The Black and Brown Hairstreaks butterfly will lay its eggs on the leaves. The caterpillars eating the leaves when the eggs hatch. Also some moth caterpillars will eat the leavers too. Blackthorn fruit will get eaten by the birds. The bush also makes a good place for birds to nest.

I think blackthorn is a good bush to grow if you want a thick hedge as it is a native plant and we are growing so many non native plants in our gardens

My dad used to make sloe gin using the sloe after the first frost. The fruit is very bitter before then he said.
Look up on the internet for a recipe but it was quite easy to make.
I remember pricking holes in the washed sloes putting them in a sterile jar and then pouring in the sugar and gin. Dad used to shake it and leave it in the dark cupboard. He would then shake it every week for a couple of months before he would drink it.
The quantities below me took from a recipe book
450g/1lb sloes
225g/8oz caster sugar
1 litre/1¾ pint gin
The gin turns a lovely dark red colour .

Apparently you can make a drink using vodka instead of gin. Sloes also make a lovely jelly to serve with roast meats recipe at http://www.cottagesmallholder.com looks good.

However the blackthorn may not be suitable for your garden as it is very thorny and spiky. As such it is a good defender hedge and makes a good barrier. Blackthorn is usually found in the countryside as hedging.
Blackthorn makes a good thick hedge you could use it amongst other hedge bushes or a make a hedge purely of blackthorn. You would need about 3 bushes to a meter of hedge. Blackthorn likes a sunny position and is not too fussy about soil unless it is water logged.

If your garden is suitable do grow this bush . You can prune it to keep its and hieght in control , but do be careful of the thorns wear good gardening gloves. If you get a thorn in your skin be careful it might go septic .

Summary: A bush that produces sloe berries