Prunus spinosa

Prunus spinosa
Fruit
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Prunus subg. Prunus
Section:	Prunus sect. Prunus
Species:	P. spinosa
Binomial name
Prunus spinosa L.
Distribution map
Synonyms[2]
List Druparia spinosa Clairv. Prunus acacia Crantz Prunus acacia Crantz ex Poir. Prunus acacia-germanica Crantz Prunus amygdaliformis Pau Prunus approximata Giraudias Prunus communis var. spinosa (L.) Hook. & Arn. Prunus domestica var. spinosa (L.) Kuntze Prunus ericiflora A.Sav. Prunus erythrocalyx Clav. Prunus erythrocalyx var. rubella Clav. Prunus foecundissima Clav. Prunus glomerata A.Sav. Prunus insititia var. spinosa (L.) Weston Prunus kurdica Fenzl ex Fritsch Prunus lucens Sav. Prunus lucida Clav. Prunus moldavica Kotov Prunus oxypyrena Clav. Prunus podolica Prunus praecox Salisb. Prunus rubella Clav. Prunus spinosa f. erythrocalyx (Clavaud) Browicz & Ziel. Prunus spinosa var. balearica Willk. Prunus spinosa var. erythrocalyx (Clavaud) Rouy & E.G.Camus Prunus spinosa var. oxypyrena (Clavaud) Rouy & E.G.Camus Prunus spinosa var. pubescens Ficalho & Cout. Prunus spinosa var. rubella (Clavaud) Rouy & E.G.Camus Prunus spinosa var. stenopetala (Clavaud) Rouy & E.G.Camus Prunus spinosa var. subcinerea Cout. Prunus stepposa Kotov Prunus subcylindrica Sav. Prunus subvillosa Debeaux Prunus vulgatior var. stenopetala Clav.

Prunus spinosa, called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Pacific Northwest and New England regions of the United States.

The fruits are used to make sloe gin in Britain and patxaran in Basque Country. The wood is used to make walking sticks, including the Irish shillelagh.