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Sloe, sloe, quick, quick **edit** are these sloes?

By Guest Poet, in The Nesting Box

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Guest

Guest

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according to Richard Mabey, sloe bushes are supposed to be quite common in our hedgerows and woodland. We have been to the woods, the parks, the river banks, the wildlife reserves and various country lanes and laybys near us and can we find one? Can we 'eck!

 

We've been looking for bushes with spikes on and immature sloe fruit but have seen nothing that resembles one.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if we're not looking for the right thing. What do they look like and especially what do they look like at THIS time of year?

 

Heeeeeeeeeeeeelp, I really want to make sloe gin fizzes :lol:

 

 

xxxxxx

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Lesley Eggsistentialist

Lesley

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There are loads around - best spotted when the blossom is on them as it comes before the leaves and before most other blossom in the hedgerow.

 

I couldn't find a photo of immature ones but here is a picture of mature berries, showing the leaves.

 

sloes.jpg

 

I could take a photo of ours?

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chooklady All Knowing Superchicken

chooklady

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I think they are most easily spotted when the blossom is out, It's the blackthorn isn't it? When the blossom is out it is just the blossom and the black wood, hence the name I guess. So you need to think back to all the places you saw white blossom and no leaves about 3 months ago. Or wait 'til September when they will be easy to spot.

Is there going to be some Sloe Gin in the making, lovely.

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Guest

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thanks but I can't think where they might have been as there are so many things with white blossom. If I knew what they looked like now (surely the fruit must be appearing by now) then I could make a note to go back later in the year :D

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Guest

Guest

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went for a walk in the woods today and found these...

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2729850&l=c92c0e0f64&id=568396756

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2729851&l=426a3c599c&id=568396756

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2729852&l=3a3086d79e&id=568396756

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2729853&l=3d1c103ed1&id=568396756

 

 

are they sloes? I wasn't sure because on the same branches were what looked like rotten plums, you can see them in the photos too, they look like deflated balloons covered in white mould or something!?

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Guest

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yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :clap:

 

I just found this pic on the net of unripe sloes and they look the same

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3552368307_618bac221a.jpg

 

I just hope now that "Ooops, word censored!"ody else knows about our bush!!!!!! :anxious::lol:

 

maybe the rotten fruit on the same bush is a good sign as obviously "Ooops, word censored!"ody picked it last year :think:

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Guest

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just found this

 

'Blue Damson' Plum

 

do you think they could be wild damsons? It's the mouldy fruit that's making me think it might not be sloes because the mouldy fruits are quite big :think:

 

either way we're going to be able to use them for something :D

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Valkyrie Cocka-doodle-loopy

Valkyrie

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I think it's a bit early for them yet. MIL likes collecting them and we have loads bordering the fields around here. One year she picked a fair few, but her sloe gin concoction was (apparently) dreadful because she hadn't let them ripen enough - another couple of weeks or so would have been better. The year before that we must have timed it right - the liqueur was delish.

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redhotchick Chatty Chicken

redhotchick

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Oh yes, could be - I was wondering about the mouldy fruits as well, they did look a bit big, the sloes stay quite small. Damsons aren't thorny, so that will help with ID. That is a find - a wild damson tree! 8)

 

We have a lot of wild damson trees in these parts. :D

I love them. Someone (not from these parts) recently called them Bullaces.

According to the RHS a purple Bullace is a damson.

 

I can't recall ever seeing a Sloe. Although I probably wouldn't know one if I fell over it.

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