Blackthorn or sloe often grows along roadsides and forest edges and is also valued as a hedge plant. In spring, the tree-like shrubs are white from their fragrant flower mass and heavily visited by bees and other insects. In autumn and winter, blackthorn banks shimmer bluish from their wax-coated fruits, which ripen from September and hang for a long time. The fruits are only edible after frost, because cold reduces some of the tannins they contain, which taste very tart and have an astringent effect. Blackthorn fruits are made into jam, jelly and compote. Alcoholic preparations such as sloe brandy, sloe liqueur and sloe wine are well-known, but sloe is also edible as fruit juice. Unripe fruits can be pickled like olives.

• Edible fruits
• Type of fruit stone fruit
• Culinary group wild fruits stimulants
• Taste astringent bitter
• Trivial Names Schlehe, Schlehdorn, Sauerpflaume, Heckendorn, Schwarzdorn, Deutsche Akazie, blackthorn, sloe, Épine noire, Prunelier, Prunellier, buisson noir, épinette, belossay, créquier, fourdinier, fourdraine, mère-du-bois, pelossier, prunellier commun
• Size (fruit) 2 cm
• Taxonomy Rosaceae (rose family) Prunus spinosa
• Origin Europe, Near Asia, Mediterraneum (Map)
• Locality Gathered 2020