Blackthorn - Prunus spinosa

Dense shrub from 1 to 4 metres in height suckering freely and with spiny branches. Flowers white 10 to 15 mm solitary, but dense on branches, appearing before the leaves. Fruit rounded 10 to 15 mm black with a bluish bloom.

Prunus domestica agg. and Prunus cerasifera

Twigs very spiny.  1st twigs brown to grey, often hairy.  Small fruit with scarcely flattened stone. Flowers appear before leaves

May be mis-recorded for P domestica.  Photo showing spiny twigs and/or fruit/fruit stone.  It may not be possible to verify this from a photo of flowers alone

Hedgerows, woodland and scrub.

March to May.

Deciduous.

Very common throughout most of Britain.

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 595 of the 617 tetrads.