Although Hawthorn is better known and certainly the most commonly used shrub in hedgerow planting, the Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is also often seen but perhaps not recognised. Sometimes known as mother of the woods it is a beautiful and characteristic feature of the British landscape.

The Blackthorn is widespread and common in woods and along field verges. It is quick to seed and grow, forming hedges and thickets. The shrub, which can grow to 4 metres, has blackish bark and branches spreading in all directions, each twiglet ending in a thorn. Botanists distinguish only one variety, although some Blackthorn shrubs show evidence of hybridisation with bullace or other wild plums.

Being the first common shrub to flower each year Blackthorn is easy to identify, its flowers are a welcome first sign of spring. It flowers on bare branches in March, the usual snap of cold weather in early spring prevents the shrub's leaves from unfolding from the bud - the result is a magnificent ebony-ivory contrast. The five-petalled flowers are largely solitary but occasionally appear in pairs, their scented blossom provides an early source of nectar for insects just emerging from hibernation. Following the flowering period the 25 to 40 millimetre, finely toothed, oval leaves emerge smattering emerald foliage in its dense, strong branches.

These spines form a thorough protection to the nests of our feathered friends on the farm.

From around mid-September to late October the Blackthorn's magnificent globular fruit, the sloe, ripens. The fruit has at first an alluring blue to purple bloom not unlike that of the blueberry, however this eventually changes to near black. The sloe ranges in size from 10 to 15 millimetres and although it is often referred to as a berry, it is in fact a true drupe; it contains a hard stone which encases a soft seed.
This bluish-black fruit is visible to birds and some of the larger fruit-eating birds gather sloes, later depositing the stone in droppings assisting in the dipersal of the species. The Blackthorn belongs to the rose family, which includes Crab Apple, Hawthorn, Rowan, Whitebeam and Wild Cherry; each of them having white or pinkish blossom.

Occasionally it flowers prolifically in a cold spell, known as a Blackthorn winter.

Although tough, the wood from the Blackthorn is of insufficient girth to be esteemed for its timber, however it is said to be fo suitable size and abundance to be adapted for a farmer's walking stick.

Over the centuries there have been many mentions of the sloe, Hans Christian Andersen makes reference to the 'sloe bush' in his fairy tale, "What One Can Invent", although strangely, Shakespeare makes no mention of the fruit despite much evidence that numerous varieties of plum were already in our English country gardens. In fact, archaeological findings from 9th & 10th century Viking foodstuffs (Yorkshire) would suggest that sloes were a part of our forefathers' diet.

Legend also has it that a Blackthorn stick was the weapon of choice especially in Ireland. Here in England it is seen as a sign of good luck and on New Year's Day crowns made from the plant were baked in the oven and carried to the nearest cornfield. After being burnt in the field, the ashes were scattered over the ridges of the first sown wheat, to bring success to the crop.