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Back in 2008 February was so warm and mild that by the start of March Blackthorn was already in blossom. Not so this year, we have experienced a relatively cold winter and at the beginning of the month we are still waiting for the early signs of spring. One of the key signs is Blackthorn blossom, when the white flowers appear en masse, usually in March, creating a frothy mass before the leaves emerge.
The Blackthorn is a member of the genus Prunus, which includes many fruit trees including cherry, plum, damson, apricot, peach and almond. To call Blackthorn a tree may be misleading, it is actually a large shrub which grows to about 12ft, with a rough, black bark and dark twisted branches bearing long, sharp thorns. Usually planted as part of a hedgerow it tends to develop into a tangled, twiggy, almost impenetrable thicket. favoured by nesting birds because of the protection it provides and can be found growing as part of the hedgerow along many stretches of the Blackwater Valley Path.
The small delicate flowers are usually white but occasionally pink with red-tipped stamens, and the oval leaves are small and dull green, turning yellow in autumn before they fall. The shrub bears dark-blue almost black globular fruits known as Sloes, which ripen and sweeten after the first frost. Eaten by birds they are also picked by man to make jam or wine and to flavour Gin. This berry has been found in archaeological sites from the Mesolithic and Iron Age periods (8,000-2,700 BC), proving that it was a part of early man’s diet. Sloe berry juice can also be used as an ink or strong red dye.
Blackthorn is valuable to wildlife and is a great favourite with nesting birds. Some 109 identified insects species have been associated with it, including the Brown Hairstreak butterfly, which lays its eggs low down on the twigs where they remain over winter. The emerging caterpillar remains amongst the leaves feeding until it pupates in June .
The fruit and leaves of Blackthorn contain tannins, organic acids, sugars and vitamin C and have many medicinal uses. Steeped in boiling water, the flowers have a mild diuretic, tonic and laxative properties. The dried fruits are used to treat bladder, kidney and stomach disorders. The liquid from the boiled leaves can be used as a mouthwash for sore throat, tonsillitis and laryngitis. It is also good for circulations, blood strengthening, and nutrient absorption.
According to Christian folklore, Blackthorn is seen as a sinister tree associated with witches and was often used for ‘binding and blasting’. In South Devon folklore witches were said to carry Blackthorn walking sticks, with which they caused much local mischief.
Having said that Blackthorn can be used in spells of protection as well. In Irish folk tales, heroes were aided by the Blackthorn tree - if they threw a twig of Blackthorn after them, it would take root and form an impenetrable hedge or woods, thwarting the pursuing giant. Blackthorn often topped the Maypole entwined with Hawthorn, and is called ‘Mother of the Woods’. At New Year, celebrants made Blackthorn crowns, which they burned in the New Year’s fire. The ashes were used to fertilise the fields. Blackthorn was sometimes woven into wreaths with Mistletoe to bring luck in the coming year, and the garlands used to wassail the Apple trees.
It’s also interesting to note that in fairy tales, such as Sleeping Beauty, it is Blackthorn that forms the thick, impenetrable thorn bramble that hides the magic castle from intruders and princes alike! In order to prove worthy, the prince must cut through this thorn forest to rescue the princess.
The stems of the Blackthorn, if trimmed and polished, have an attractive black finish, so it was often used for walking stick.It is also traditionally used for making the Irish fighting stick or cudgel. The Irish cudgel, is more popularly known as a shillelagh, named after the Shillelagh forest near Arklow, in County Wicklow. Although sometimes made from Oak, Ash or Holly, the shillelagh is more usually made from Blackthorn, because it is hard, strong, plentiful, and has a convenient ‘knob’ formed from the root of the shrub. The black bark is especially tough. The wood was cured by burying it in a dung heap or smearing it with butter, then placing it in the chimney.
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