Many of us here in Ireland believe the Blackthorn to be so Irish it cannot be found beyond these shores. You may be surprised to know that this native can be found growing in many Nordic and Mediterranean countries, even occasionally cropping up as far away as Iran. Where blackthorn is found, it may be known by its Latin name, Prunus Spinosa, as Gaeilge, an Draigean, or one of its many common names, such as sloe, wild plum or wishing thorn.

Flowers before leaves

Blackthorn is a deciduous, small tree or large shrub, growing up to four metres high at a medium growth rate. It is often to be found growing wild in hedgerows, on the edges of wooded areas or popping up on rough farmland. The types of conditions that the adaptable blackthorn grows under are varied; it appears to cope with everything except extremely wet and acidic soils.

March through April is one of the best times to spot the wild blackthorn. At this time, snow white, five petalled flowers emerge for all to see. The blooms appear before the leaves unfold; this is one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between blackthorn and hawthorn (whitethorn): it is flowers before leaves for blackthorn and leaves before flowers for hawthorn.

The early blackthorn flowers are followed by the finely serrated, dull-green, oval leaves, which in turn are followed by blackish purple sloes in autumn. Sloes, the fruit of the blackthorn, are extremely sour, especially if they have not received a frosting. That is why they tended to be used in the past for the production of jellies, and as flavouring for sloe gin. The juice of the unripe fruit leaves an almost indelible mark on any fabrics it touches, so beware of your best clothes whilst picking them.

Leaves, flowers and fruit are easily supported on the tree's smooth, dark intersecting branches. This thicket like growth, combined with blackthorn's notoriously vicious woody thorns, and the ability to regrow quickly after cutting, makes for an ideal stock proof new hedging material.

Wildlife and shillelaghs

If you grow it as a hedge, blackthorn, with its sharp thorns, will provide cover and nesting for many of our native birds. A fair amount of insects are also known to flock to the tree, especially in spring when the subtle scents of its flowers attract the insects, which are vital for pollination. Not as vital to the tree's survival, but still linked by nature are the caterpillars of the brown and black hairstreak butterfly, who use the blackthorn's leaves for food.

I can't finish a piece on the blackthorn without mentioning an item known as the shillelagh, a piece of wood work which has, at this stage become part of that Irish cliché 'shamrocks and shillelaghs'. The wood of the blackthorns is ideally suited to the manufacture of these clubs/walking sticks, due to its hardness to lightness ratio. Any of you who have ever received a clout from a shillelagh will know what I am talking about.

Until next week, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.

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