Prunus spinosa insect-pollinated. The fruit, called a "sloe", is a drupe in diameter, black with a purple-blue waxy bloom, ripening in autumn and harvested – traditionally, at least in the UK – in October or November after the first frosts. Sloes are thin-fleshed, with a very strongly astringent flavour when fresh. "Prunus spinosa" is frequently confused with the related "P. cerasifera" (cherry plum), particularly in early spring when the latter starts flowering somewhat earlier than "P. spinosa". They can be distinguished by flower colour, creamy white in "P. spinosa", pure white in "P. cerasifera". They can also be distinguished in winter by
Prunus xueluoensis Prunus xueluoensis Prunus xueluoensis is a species of "Prunus" found in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces of China. It is a shrubby tree 0.5 to 3m tall, preferring to grow at 1100 to 1500m above sea level. It is only known from three mountains; Xueluozhai, Lushan and Jinggangshan. It is morphologically similar to "Prunus tomentosa" and "Prunus tianshanica". It differs from them by a number of features including having two to four flowers per inflorescence, many more stamens per flower, a glabrous pistil and a black fruit. Genetically, "P. xueluoensis" is more closely related to "P. polytricha", "P. jingningensis", and "P.