Earth-Children: USES: Blackthorn Tree

Prunus spinosa

Most people know that the purple berries of the blackthorn tree are the main ingredient of sloe gin but many do not know that the blackthorn tree also has several other uses as an ancient folk medicine.

The parts used for other reasons are the dark green leaves, white flowers,gray/orange bark and the berries have medicinal uses.

Other uses include using the bark, fruit and leaves for dyes.

A well known effective product is Blackthorn Berry Elixir . This delicious product is benificial for milk production for breastfeeding mothers as well as for convelecants/those recovering from a long illness or sufferning from exhaustion.

Some say that where Blackthorn grows near Hawthorn, the site is especially magical. Others say the two should not be planted as Hawthorn will kill Blackthorn.
Witches were appently known to carve the Norse rune THURISAZ (thorn) onto a Blackthorn stave for protection.
In Scotland, winter begins when the Cailleach (also the Goddess of Winter) strikes the ground with Her Blackthorn staff.
Blackthorn is found throughout the British Isles, and dwells on the edge of woodlands forming dense thickets and hedgerows.