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 kansuensis locally. The fruit is eaten by the endangered golden snubnosed monkeys ("Rhinopithecus roxellana"). Prunus kansuensis Prunus kansuensis (), sometimes called the Chinese bush peach, is a putative species of peach native to China. It is found in Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Qinghai, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces. It is a shrub or tree tall, preferring to grow at above sea level. A genetic and morphological study has shown that it is conspecific with "Prunus persica", the cultivated peach. "P.kansuensis" is being investigated as a source for rootstocks and for crop improvement due to its resistance to multiple diseases, to drought, and to