Prunus spinosa
| Prunus spinosa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 10' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Spring-Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Prunus spinosa (common name: sloe)
Propagation: Seed - requires 2 - 3 months cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible[1]. Protect the seed from mice etc. The seed can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame[3][1].
Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants in spring to early summer in a frame.
Layering in spring.
Division of suckers during the dormant season. They can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[3]. Succeeds in all soils except very acid peats[4]. Succeeds in light shade but fruits better in a sunny position[3][1]. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone[3]. Prefers some chalk in the soil but apt to become chlorotic if too much is present[5]. Thrives on chalk according to another report[6]. Plants are very resistant to maritime exposure[4].
An important food plant for the caterpillars of several species of butterfly[7], especially the larvae of the brown and black hairstreak butterflies[4]. A good bee plant.
Plants are shallow-rooted and of a suckering habit, they can form dense impenetrable thickets which are ideal for nesting birds, especially nightingales[4].
Flowers are often damaged by late frosts[4].
Plants regenerate quickly after cutting or after fast moving forest fires, producing suckers from below ground level[4].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[8][1].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Mediterranean, Siberia and Iran.
Habitat: Hedgerows and woods, usually in sunny positions, on all soils except acid peats[9][10].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[11][12][13][3][14][15][16]. Exceedingly astringent, it is normally cooked but once the fruit has been frosted it loses some of its astringency and some people find they can enjoy it raw[17][K]. The fruit is more usually used in jellies, syrups, conserves etc and as a flavouring for sloe gin and other liqueurs[17]. Some fruits that we ate in December were fairly pleasant raw[K]. In France the unripe fruit is pickled like an olive[17]. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter and contains one large seed[1].
Seed - raw or cooked. Do not eat the seed if it is too bitter - see the notes above on toxicity.
The leaves are used as a tea substitute[13][17]. The dried fruits can be added to herbal teas[17].
The flowers are edible and can be crystallised or sugared[17].
Medicinal: The flowers, bark, leaves and fruits are aperient, astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative and stomachic[13][9][18]. An infusion of the flowers is used in the treatment of diarrhoea (especially for children), bladder and kidney disorders, stomach weakness et[9].
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, all members of the genus contain amygdalin and prunasin, substances which break down in water to form hydrocyanic acid (cyanide or prussic acid). In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being[19].
Usage: The bark is a good source of tannin[13]. It is used to make an ink[20].
The juice of unripe fruits is used as a laundry mark[20], it is almost indelible[21].
The pulped ripe fruit is used cosmetically in making astringent face-masks[13].
A green dye can be obtained from the leaves[22].
A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit[22].
The bark, boiled in an alkali, produces a yellow dye[20].
The sloe is very resistant to maritime exposure and also suckers freely. It can be used as a hedge in exposed maritime positions. The hedge is stock-proof if it is well maintained[5][23], though it is rather bare in the winter and, unless the hedge is rather wide, it is not a very good shelter at this time[K]. Because of its suckering habit, the plant is a natural pioneer species, invading cultivated fields and creating conditions conducive to the regeneration of woodland.
Wood - very hard. Used for turnery, the teeth of rakes etc[5][15][24][20]. Suitable branches are used for making walking sticks and are highly valued for this purpose because of their twisted and interesting shapes[13].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where most, if not all members of the genus produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ RHS. The Garden Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society, 1987.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Nicholson, Barbara and Stephen Harrison. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press, 1975.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Freethy, Ron. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press, 1985.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Shepherd, F. W.. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society, 1974.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.