Honey bees
Nectar value
Medium
Pollen value
Medium
Pollinator plant
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa
Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Bee value
Who this plant supports
Agroforestry database
Complete plant information
Structure
- Vegetation layer
- Fruit tree, Shrub
- Size
- Small
- Dimensions
- 3.00 m high × 3.00 m wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Deciduous
Site conditions
- USDA hardiness
- 4-8
- Moisture
- Moist
- Soil
- Sandy, Loamy, Clay
- pH
- Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
- Light
- Partial shade, Sun
Uses
- Edible parts
- Fruit, Flowers, Seed
- Functions
- Cosmetic, Dye, Hedge, Pioneer plant, Timber, Pollinator plant, Carbon farming
- Edibility
- 3 out of 5
- Medicinal value
- 2 out of 5
The fruits of this plant can be eaten either raw or cooked. Normally, they are cooked due to their very sour taste, but once the fruits have been frozen, they lose some of their astringent properties, making it possible for some people to enjoy them raw. These fruits are often used to make jelly, syrups, and other preserves, and are also used as a flavoring for, for example, sloe gin and various liqueurs. In France, unripe fruits are pickled like olives. The fruits are about 15 mm in diameter and contain a large seed, which can be eaten both raw and cooked. However, the seed should not be eaten if it is too bitter, due to possible toxicity. The leaves of this plant are used as a coffee substitute, and the dried fruits can be used to make herbal tea. The edible flowers can be crystallized or sweetened and added to dishes.