Where in the UK does the Blackthorn tree grow?
Blackthorn is also known as Sloe, which is the name of the bitter purple berries which grow in Autumn and can be steeped in gin to make sloe gin for Christmas. It has a mass of small white flowers in Spring, which look very pretty. A non-poisonous plant, it grows in hedges, especially old ones which date from the time when prickly plants such as blackthorn and hawthorn were used to keep cattle enclosed, before barbed wire was invented. It’s very common, and if you can find a picture of it for your friend, I’m sure you’ll both recognise it at once.
