Shillelagh (club) Shillelagh (club) A shillelagh ( or ; , "thonged willow") or blackthorn stick is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Shillelaghs are traditionally made from blackthorn (sloe) wood ("Prunus spinosa") or oak. Wood from the root was prized as it was less prone to crack or break during use. The wood would be smeared with butter or lard, and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. Another method was
Prunus × cistena Prunus × cistena Prunus × cistena, the purple leaf sand cherry or dwarf red-leaf plum, is a hybrid species of prune-cherry, the result of a cross between "Prunus cerasifera" (cherry plum or myrobalan plum) and "Prunus pumila" (sand cherry). A leggy bush or shrubby tree, it typically reaches a height of 1.5–2.5 meters and has a useful life of 10–20 years. The fruit are edible, if strong-tasting. Some people make jams or preserves from them. It is not advisable to eat the pits. Frost-tolerant, purple leaf sand cherries can be grown up to USDA Hardiness Zone 2. Commercial specimens are