Prunus spinosa Britain, and in Germany and other central European countries. Sloes can also be made into jam, chutney, and used in fruit pies. Sloes preserved in vinegar are similar in taste to Japanese "umeboshi". The juice of the fruits dyes linen a reddish colour that washes out to a durable pale blue. Blackthorn makes an excellent fire wood that burns slowly with a good heat and little smoke. The wood takes a fine polish and is used for tool handles and canes. Straight blackthorn stems have traditionally been made into walking sticks or clubs (known in Ireland as a shillelagh). In
Prunus xueluoensis pseudocerasus". 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