Prunus spinosa Prunus spinosa Prunus spinosa, called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand, Tasmania and eastern North America. "Prunus spinosa" is a large deciduous shrub or small tree growing to tall, with blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches. The leaves are oval, long and broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers are about in diameter, with five creamy-white petals; they are produced shortly before the leaves in early spring, and are hermaphroditic and
Prunus persica × Prunus americana tree is included in the Purdue University book "Fruit Breeding", Volume 1. The hybrid at Broadus, Montana has never fruited as the flowerbuds have all winterkilled. The hybrid has bloomed in Pennsylvania and the blooms are sterile. As of 2013, the hybrid near Broadus is still alive. Prunus persica × Prunus americana Prunus persica" × "Prunus americana is the hybrid between the peach "Prunus persica" (often a nectarine) and the wild American plum "Prunus americana". Hybrids were obtained in the 1940s at the University of Minnesota, and have been used in subsequent breeding, such as in the parentage of a