Blackthorn in island border

johnterry

Hi all,

Just managed to identify a fairly mature blackthorn Prunus spinosa in our new garden - see below pics.  It's not part of a hedge, but rather in an island border, clipped neatly into a tidy shrub shape by the previous owner 

It's clearly been suckering all over the place for some time 

Does anyone else have this growing in their garden?  Does it have any merit or garden-worthiness as an ornamental plant, or should I hoik it out with a saw, stout gloves and a mattock?

Thanks in advance,

JT

BobTheGardener

The flowers appear before the leaves in spring and can look amazing as well as being a food source for bees.  Might be worth waiting until next spring to see if you like it?

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-uk-native-trees/blackthorn/

Yours doesn't look the healthiest though, so maybe consider a cut back (start by removing all dead, damaged or rubbing wood) and giving it a feed of well-rotted manure or blood, fish & bone fertiliser. Or, as you say, hoik it out as it is a shrub/tree more suited to a hedgerow than the centrepiece of a flower bed.