Prunus spinosa
Blackthorn · also Sloe
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A deciduous shrub or small tree, Prunus spinosa is characterized by its sharp thorns and pure white flowers that appear in early spring before the leaves. Its dark blue/purple fruits, known as sloes, are used to make sloe gin. This resilient plant forms dense stands, providing valuable habitat and food for wildlife, but its suckering habit and thorns should be considered in urban plantings.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 1,8580.16%—1.6 in
- 390.01%23 yr5.9 in
- 190.00%30 yr7.6 in
- 180.01%—8.1 in
- 80.02%3.8 yr—
- 50.00%23 yr17 in
- 40.00%—3.5 in
- 10.00%——
Traits
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 13.1 ft
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Roots
- Invasive
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 1.6 in, mean 2.2 in, 90th percentile 3.9 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- Baltic mixed forests
- Central Anatolian steppe and woodlands
- Central European mixed forests
- East European forest steppe
- European Atlantic mixed forests
- Western European broadleaf forests
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests
Other Prunus in the catalogue
60 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
