Blackthorn is a common thorny plant that walkers often come across along the edge of forests and fields. Blackthorn bushes are covered with flowers over a large area, so they look very similar to hawthorn. The fruits of blackthorn resemble tiny plums in size and color. The scientific name is Druparia spinosa.
Occurrence and cultivation of blackthorn
An herbal tea made from sloe flowers acts as a mild laxative, purifies the body, combats urinary disorders and strengthens the stomach. In common parlance, blackthorn is also known as sloe, buckberry, snare bush, oat plum, thorn sloe, Schlaia, stern thorn, German acacia or blackthorn. Blackthorn is used as a medicinal plant against many ailments. The time of collecting the flowers is in April and May. The root bark is extracted in October and November and the fruits are used in late autumn and winter. The natural constituents are amygdalin, nitrite glycoside, glycosides, malic acid, a small amount of prussic acid, emulsin and tannins. Blackthorn grows as a deciduous and bulky hedge plant or as a multi-stemmed, small tree that can grow up to three meters, rarely up to six meters high. Due to its extensive roots and saplings, blackthorn belongs to the root-creeping pioneers, with which impenetrable undergrowth is formed. The twigs have a slight downy appearance, with small thorns at the end. The hedge thorn has a wide habitat, being found along forest and field edges throughout Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia. It is considered naturalized in New Zealand and North America, and the far north and Iceland record small populations. The looping shrub likes stony, calcareous soils with exposure to sunlight and is preferably found in the company of juniper, hazel, wild rose, barberry and hawthorn species. Just before the leaves sprout, the dense white flowers bloom, giving blackthorn the character of hawthorn. The leaves are small and elliptical in shape and serrated at the flower edge. The flowers appear before the leaves, which is an unusual phenomenon, since this process is usually the other way around. They have five petals and twenty stamens, which form around the pistil. Their fragrance is reminiscent of almond aroma. The thorny plant belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae) and the plant genus of the stone fruit family (Amygdaleae). It is closely related to the apricot, plum, reneclode and almond. The fruits, which ripen plum-like until October, grow up to one centimeter in size. At first, the fruits taste tart and astringent. However, after the first night frosts, this taste is lost.
Effect and application
Blackthorn is used as a medicinal plant in many fields of herbal medicine. Its healing properties are antispasmodic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative and astringent. Due to this diverse mode of action, the plant is used for the following ailments: Stomach weakness, bladder problems, heart weakness, cough cramps, constipation, prostate enlargement, skin blemishes, skin rash, dropsy, gingivitis, kidney stones, rheumatism, menstrual cramps and edema. A herbal tea made from sloe flowers acts as a mild laxative, purifies the body, combats urinary disorders and strengthens the stomach. A mush prepared from the fruit of the oat plum is used against constipation. The bark of the root, after decoction, acts as an antipyretic. Creams and masks are used to treat various skin diseases. Anthroposophic medicines from complementary medicine are hepatodorone and anthroposophic mistletoe extract. Sloe is also used outside of herbal medicine to make jam, liqueurs, wines, fruit juices, and brandies (sloe brandy, sloe spirit, sloe wine). Alternative product stores sell sloe honey, sloe chocolate, and energy drinks based on sloe thorn. In the field of dietary supplements, blackthorn capsules are available in various compositions.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The fruit of blackthorn has a lot of vitamin C. It has antioxidant properties and can fight free radicals, which are negative causes of many ailments of the human body.Used against this negative effect, which can permanently disturb the balance of the human organism, blackthorn can be used both for prevention and treatment of various ailments. Its anti-inflammatory, cleansing and astringent effects can prevent damage to healthy cells and thus reduce the risk of cancer. The flowers are edible and, along with root bark and fruit, are used in natural medicine. The berries of blackthorn contain stones and seeds with the natural ingredients prunasin and amygdalin, which can be converted into prussic acid. Prussic acid is one of the strongest and best known plant poisons. Even the herbalist Sebastian Kneipp knew about the beneficial effects of sloe. He described sloe blossoms as the most harmless laxative there is. He was right, because a tea prepared from sloe blossoms is harmless even for children when they suffer from abdominal pain, constipation or flatulence. Sloe blossom tea is also a diaphoretic and has an antipyretic effect. It is effective against kidney, bladder and gall stones and catarrh, purifies the blood, drains and stimulates the appetite. The blue fruits of thorn sloe are easy to use in dried state or as juice. The fruits are golden in use against inflammation of the oral mucous membrane and gums. Sloe improves digestion, has a positive effect on metabolism, has a draining and flushing effect, and specifically treats nerve pain. A syrup of sloe berries treats rheumatism and flu. Sloe berry together with the flower cures dysentery and diarrhea. Used alone, the berries help against all kinds of stomach ailments. Sloe syrup increases the strength of teeth and removes tartar. The syrup is applied to the affected areas of the gums or teeth and massaged in. The fruits and the bark of the tree are made into mush and, when applied externally, treat muscle cramps as well as gangrene and wound infections. Blackthorn as a homeopathic remedy Prunus spinosa is used for nerve pain, urinary problems, fatigue, insomnia, nervous headaches and heart weakness. Instead of the homeopathic remedy, the bark can be used in powdered form mixed with water. Side effects that pose a risk to health are not known.
