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 × pugetensis The chief difference from its parents is that its flowers almost always abort, and it rarely bears any fruit. Prunus × pugetensis Prunus × pugetensis is a hybrid species of cherry discovered growing in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It has been given the nominal common name Puget Sound cherry. It is a cross of introduced sweet cherry, "Prunus avium", and native Oregon cherry, "Prunus emarginata". Individuals have been found growing in British Columbia, Washington state and Oregon, in the natural range of "P. emarginata". It differs from "P. avium" in a number of features, including having narrower