Whilst the blackthorn is traditionally viewed as a plant which flowers in March, one has been spotted near the centre of Edinburgh in Princes Street Gardens as early as January this year! I wonder if flower delivery Edinburgh has got its hands on any blackthorn flowers yet? Sheltering under the castle rock, this beautiful flower has emerged much earlier than expected.
The ‘Prunus spinosa’ is a species of Prunus which is native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. The word “sloe” derives from Old English “slāh”. The Old English word can be traced back to a Germanic root, “slaiχwōn”, which means “plum” of any species. ‘Prunus spinosa’ is commonly known as ‘Blackthorn’ in English. A deciduous large shrub which grows up to 5 metres in height, the blackthorn has black bark and dense, spiny branches which are stiff. The flowers of the Blackthorn bear five creamy-white petals and the entire flower is approximately 1.5 centimetres in diameter. The “sloe”, the fruit the flower bears, is black with a purple waxy bloom. Thin-fleshed and with a strong astringent flavour if fresh, sloes are harvested in the UK in October.
Replies: 0
Leave a Reply