Blackthorn flowers blossom before their leaves, appearing in glorious masses in the hedgerows, in April into May. 

Photo: Amanda Scott

Blackthorn is not of course unique to The Lizard, and can be found across the country. However, the richness of the Cornish hedges here, in which Blackthorn and the closely-related Hawthorn are commonly found, means that the spring blossom of this tree makes for a wonderful sight in early Spring, appearing as early as March (and in Cornwall is not unknown in February, in warmer years). This early flowering yields nectar for any invertebrates that are out and about early in the year.

A deciduous member of the Rose (Rosaceae) family, and in the same genus as Almond, Cherry and Plum trees, its flowers appear before its leaves (one of the ways of distinguishing it from Hawthorn, on which the leaves appear first). Its long sharp thorns (up to 8 cm), which make it excellent for keeping things either in or out, mean it is commonly used in hedges, and its propensity to form thickets makes it a favourite nesting tree for some birds.

Its fruit – the sloes – are collected in the Autumn to make Sloe Gin, if the birds, which also love them, haven’t got there first.