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 pumila leathery, long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are in diameter with five white petals and 25–30 stamens. They are produced in small clusters of two to four. The fruit is a small cherry diameter, ripening dark purple in early summer. "Prunus × cistena" (purple leaf sand cherry) is a hybrid of "Prunus cerasifera" (Cherry Plum) and "Prunus pumila". It was developed by Niels Ebbesen Hansen of South Dakota State University in 1910. Prunus pumila Prunus pumila, commonly called sand cherry, is a North American species of cherry in the rose family. It is widespread in eastern and central Canada