Blackthorn

Profile

Family

Rosaceae

Habit

Shrub

Height

4 m

Spread

3 m

Growth

medium

Lifespan

70 years

First yield

after 8 years

Hardiness

zone 4–9

Shade tolerance

partial shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam

Soil moisture

dry – very moist

pH

6 – 8.5

Synonyms

Schlehe

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: Fruit: can be eaten raw after frost, cooked, pickled when unripe similar to olives, or dried for tea, jam, wine, or liqueur. Leaves can be used for making tea. Flowers are edible when raw. Seeds can be consumed raw or cooked (Caution: may be poisonous).

Medicinal: The flowers, bark, leaves, and fruits have astringent, purgative, diaphoretic, diuretic, antipyretic, laxative, and anti-inflammatory properties. The flowers can be brewed into a tea to alleviate stomach issues, diarrhea (especially in children), and bladder and kidney ailments. The fruit juice aids in recuperation from sickness.

Other uses: Fruit: Used for facial masks, dyes range from green to dark gray, can be used as a textile stamp. Leaves: Green in color, can serve as a substitute for tobacco. Bark: Contains tannin, yields red ink, turns yellow when boiled in lye. Wood: Extremely hard, ideal for woodturning, carving, making rakes, and walking sticks. Properties: Effective for slope stabilization and snow protection.

Propagation

Seeds need 2-3 months of cold treatment and should be planted right after they mature in a cold frame. Plant stored seeds in a cold frame early in the year. Guard against pests. Germination may be slow, taking up to 18 months. Transfer seedlings to individual pots once they are big enough. Grow in a greenhouse or cold frame during the first winter and then move outdoors the next spring or summer. In July/August, take cuttings from semi-mature shoots with a spur in a cold frame. Take softwood cuttings from strong plants in a cold frame from spring to early summer. Layering should be done in spring. Divide runners in the dormant season and plant them directly in their permanent spot.

Notable

Special features: drought+salt+pollutant+sea wind tolerant; runners!!; Quickly forms large, impenetrable thickets; Good for dozens of birds; Not very opaque in winter; Planted as a protective belt around fields and farms; Ink: bark soaked in water for >3 days, boiled, mixed with wine+boiled down; For Celts: guide between the worlds; root creeping pioneer; Ink: bark beaten from twigs, |:3 days in water, drained, boiled,

Origin & habitat

Europe spans from Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean in the south and east, reaching Siberia and Iran.

Usually located close to the shoreline, they frequently grow in dense clusters on stable sand dunes and cliffs along the coast.

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