Handy tip for fruit hunters

I noticed this weekend that loads of the sloe trees are in bloom at the moment, and soem of the cherry and even cherry plum are flowering too. Keep your eye out for this, these are the trees to go back to for fruit later on. But don't think thats all of the cherry trees; many of the trees that I know have the best fruit are way off flowering still.

So keep your eyes peeled, consider it scouting.

hedgewitch

Where should I be looking for sloe trees? I've never found any but feel they are quite common and I'm maybe not looking in the right kind of area Embarassed

Cathryn

They haev sharp spiky thorns that make your hands ache for ages afterwards if they pierce the skin - and they grow as scrubby hedges all over the place round here.

cab

Hedgewitch - exactly what Ruby said. From a distance its like a white flowered, scrubby, almost bush like cherry tree as often as not. Hedgerows are good, railway embankments, old quarries, even around car parks and places like that.

dougal

hedgewitch wrote:

Where should I be looking for sloe trees? I've never found any but feel they are quite common and I'm maybe not looking in the right kind of area Embarassed

Often as hedges alongside lanes or dividing fields.
Like Cab says, the bright white blossom (anytime soon) flags where to look later for fruit.
Its easier to spot white blossom on bare branches than dark fruit in amongst foliage... Very Happy

This is what to look for http://www.oswild.org/trees/sloe.html

hedgewitch

Thanks all! I'm determined to find at least one this year Very Happy

Last year I stumbled across some wonderful wild rose bushes. It was too late to pick the hips, but I'll be back this year and keeping an eye on them. They are well hidden Wink

tahir

Saw some sloes in flower this morning, a single tree in isolation absolutely covered in blossom

Pea

Blackthorn. Has anyone tried these sloes straight from the bush? I would not recommend it. The best thing to do with sloes is to preserve them in jam or chutney or vodka or gin.

We are surrounded by blackthorn but none of it is in flower yet here.

Jamanda

Some of them are out here. And I saw a nice patch of ransoms this evening - They'll go great with some of Rob's mutton on Sunday.

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