by Gracie and Liberty
Early to blossom, blackthorn trees have clouds of snow-white flowers in early spring. They’re best known for their rich, inky, dark fruits.
Common name: Blackthorn
Scientific name: Prunus spinosa
Family: Rosaceae
Origin: native
Blackthorn wood has been used to make walking and riding sticks, and was the traditional wood for Irish shillelaghs.
Look out for: a spiny, shrubby tree with black-purple twigs and small, narrow leaves.
Identified in winter by: the twigs which are black and spiny with leaf buds along the spines
What does blackthorn look like?
Leaves: Slightly wrinkled, oval, toothed, pointed at the tip and tapered at the base.
Flowers: Blackthorn is a hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are found in one flower. White flowers appear on short stalks before the leaves in March and April, either singularly or in pairs.
Mythology, stories and symbolism:
Blackthorn was long associated with witchcraft, and it is said that witches’ wands and staffs were made using blackthorn wood.
