Blackthorn - nature's barbed wire
30 November 2019
One of the jobs that we have to tackle during the autumn is cutting back the Blackthorn from areas where it is encroaching on areas of grass or footpaths. This is what some of our volunteers were doing during the November Working Party and as Blackthorn is a plant that suckers* vigorously there is always plenty to cut.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinose) is native to the UK and is usually found as a shrub, but can also be found occasionally as a tree up to 5 metre tall. It is related to the plum and, as the name implies, has black bark and long viciously sharp thorns. It was traditionally used in hedges where its dense tangled growth produces a very thick, almost impenetrable barrier. There is no wonder that it has been called “nature’s barbed wire”!
It’s fruit is small, round and dark purple turning black in the autumn and is called a “sloe” which is also another name used in some areas to identify the plant. These are often very sour, but that doesn’t seem to matter when they are used to make jam, or that favourite winter drink - sloe gin.
They are one of the earliest plants to flower, usually in March, bursting into a mass of small off-white flowers before coming into leaf. They are a real sign that the seasons are changing. There’s a really good clump of Blackthorn just inside the Green at the top of the Donkey Steps. Watch out for them.
*A “sucker” is a plant that doesn’t grow from a seed, but grows from the root of an established plant. The shoots usually appear some distance away from the parent plant.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinose) is native to the UK and is usually found as a shrub, but can also be found occasionally as a tree up to 5 metre tall. It is related to the plum and, as the name implies, has black bark and long viciously sharp thorns. It was traditionally used in hedges where its dense tangled growth produces a very thick, almost impenetrable barrier. There is no wonder that it has been called “nature’s barbed wire”!
It’s fruit is small, round and dark purple turning black in the autumn and is called a “sloe” which is also another name used in some areas to identify the plant. These are often very sour, but that doesn’t seem to matter when they are used to make jam, or that favourite winter drink - sloe gin.
They are one of the earliest plants to flower, usually in March, bursting into a mass of small off-white flowers before coming into leaf. They are a real sign that the seasons are changing. There’s a really good clump of Blackthorn just inside the Green at the top of the Donkey Steps. Watch out for them.
*A “sucker” is a plant that doesn’t grow from a seed, but grows from the root of an established plant. The shoots usually appear some distance away from the parent plant.