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 yunnanensis from 3.5 to 6cm long and 2 to 3.5cm wide. The leaves are a darker green on the top surface. Typically the inflorescences have 3 to 9 flowers borne on subcorymbose racemes or long racemes. Each flower has 33–45 stamens. The fruit, a drupe, is purplish red, 7 to 10mm by 5 to 8mm. It is planted as an ornamental street tree in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan. Prunus yunnanensis Prunus yunnanensis, the Yunnan cherry () is a species of "Prunus" native to Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and adjacent provinces of southeast China, preferring to grow at 1900–2600m. The white flowers