Sloes on Blackthorn

Look out for sloes on blackthorn. This is the easiest time to distinguish blackthorn from whitethorn, which has the smaller red haws. Look at their leaves now, which can be also used in summer to differentiate them. Blackthorn leaves are entire oval shaped leaves similar in shape to the apple leaf, while whitethorn has palmate or lobed leaves similar to the shape of the oak leaves. In the end of March after St. Patrick’s day, blackthorn hedges appear covered in clouds of snow-white flowers, while whitethorn flowers later after its leaves have come out at the end of May or first cut silage time. Sloes are part of our native Irish biodiversity.