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 americana Prunus americana Prunus americana, commonly called the American plum, wild plum, or Marshall's large yellow sweet plum, is a species of "Prunus" native to North America from Saskatchewan and Idaho south to New Mexico and east to Québec, Maine and Florida. "Prunus americana" has often been planted outside its native range and sometimes escapes cultivation. It is commonly confused with the Canada plum ("Prunus nigra"), although the fruit is smaller and rounder and bright red as opposed to yellow. Many cultivated varieties have been derived from this species. It forms an excellent stock upon which to graft the domestic plum.