Rosaceae

Blackthorn

Prunus spinosa L.

Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus

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Blackthorn: This shrub is called Blackthorn (its berries are called Sloe) NAMES IN OTHER LANGUAGES: Slån or Slånbärsbuske in Swedish, Slåpetorn in norwegian, Slåen in danis — Photo: Martin Olsson, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (81)

Arabic: برقوق السياج, البُرقوق الشائك, الخوخ الشوكي, القراصية, القريع تُفَّاحي الشكل, بُرقوق السِّياج, جراصيا, حب المُلُوك
Aragonese: Aranyoner, Aranyonero, Aranyón, Arañoner, Arañonero, Arañón
Armenian: Մամուխ, Մամխենի
arz: خوخ شوكى
Asturian: Abrunu, Andrinal, Brunu, Escayu negral, Espinal, Espineru, Espín, Negral
azb: چاققال ارییی
Azerbaijani: Göyəm
ba: Тёрн
bar: Schlehdorn, Schleha
Basque: Elorri beltz, Elorri beltza, Basaran
Belarusian: Цярноўнік, Цёрн, Сліва калючая, Цярніна, Цёрн звычайны
Bulgarian: Трънка
Catalan: Aranyoner, Aranyons
Chinese: 黑刺李, 刺李, 杏李
Croatian: Trnina
csb: Psónka
cv: Кӳкен
Czech: Slivoň trnka, Trnka obecná, Slivoň trnitá
Danish: Slåen, Slåenbær
dsb: Puckowina, Slěwica
Dutch: Sleedoorn
English: Blackthorn, Sloe, blackthorn, Sloe
Esperanto: Prunelo, Dorna prunuso
Estonian: Laukapuu
Finnish: Oratuomi
French: Prunellier, Epine noire, Prunelier, Épine noire
frp: Belociér
frr: Sleesuurn
fur: Sespâr, Bromp, Brugnul, Brugnulâr, Cespe, Cespâr, Ciespe, Sespe
Galician: Abruñeiro, Abruñeira, Escambrón
Georgian: Კვრინჩხი
German: Schlehdorn, Schwarzdorn, Schlehe, Schlehen, Schlehendorn, Straif
Greek: Τσαπουρνιά
gv: Drine airn
Hebrew: סלו
hsb: Dorničel, Dorničałka, Dornyk, Raćešin, Wulki hłohonc
Hungarian: Kökény
Indonesian: Sloe
inh: Кока
io: Prunelo
Irish: Draighean
Italian: Prugnolo, Prugno spinoso
Japanese: スピノサスモモ
kab: Lberquq n tɣeṭṭen
Kazakh: Тікенді қараөрік
kbd: Пыжъ, Пыжь
Korean: 블랙손
Latvian: Ērkšķu plūme
li: Sjlièkreek, Sjlieëdaoën, Sjlièkrekel, Sleedoorn
Lithuanian: Dygioji slyva
Luxembourgish: Schléif, Scghléiwen
Macedonian: Трнинка
mwl: Bruneiro
Norwegian Bokmål: Slåpetorn, Slåper
Occitan: Agrenièr
os: Какон, Какæттæ, Какон сындз, Каконсындз, Кокойнæ, Кокойнæ синдзæ, Къуырынцхы
pcd: Crékier
Persian: آلوی بخارایی, آلو بخارایی
Polish: Śliwa tarnina
Portuguese: Espinheiro, Abrunheiro, Abrunho, Brunheiro
Romanian: Porumbar
rsk: Тарки
Russian: Тёрн, Слива колючая, Терн, Терн колючий, Терновник, Терновый куст
scn: Prignolu, Avrignuolu, Brignolu
Scottish Gaelic: Àirne, Airne
Serbian: Трњина
Serbian (Latin): Trnina
sgs: Krīgė
Slovak: Slivka trnková
Slovenian: Črni trn
Spanish: Endrino, Arañonero
stq: Släieboom
Swedish: Slån, Slånbärsbuske
Turkish: Çakal eriği
udm: Тёрн, Тёрнпу, Ӟурзек
Ukrainian: Терен колючий, Терен, Терен звичайний
Vietnamese: Mận gai
vls: Sleedôorn
Walloon: Purnalî, Noere sipene, Purnale
Welsh: Draenen Ddu
wuu: 黑刺李

Synonyms

Druparia spinosa Clairv.
Prunus acacia Crantz ex Poir.
Prunus acacia Crantz
Prunus acacia-germanica Crantz
Prunus amygdaliformis Pau
Prunus communis Bab.
Prunus communis prol. depressa Clavaud
Prunus communis prol. erythrocalyx Clavaud
Prunus communis prol. latiflora Clavaud
Prunus communis prol. oxypyrena Clavaud
Prunus communis prol. pubescens Clavaud
Prunus communis prol. subinermis Clavaud
Prunus communis subsp. spinosa (L.) Syme
Prunus communis subvar. cinerea Clavaud
Prunus communis subvar. ellipsoides Clavaud
Prunus communis subvar. stenopetala (Ducommun) Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked coronata Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked depressa Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked erythrocalyx Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked foecundissima Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked latiflora Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked lucida Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked oxypyrena Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked pubescens Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked rubella Clavaud
Prunus communis unranked subinermis Clavaud
Prunus communis var. spinosa (L.) Hook. & Arn.
Prunus curdica Fenzl ex Fritsch
Prunus densa Martrin-Donos
Prunus densiflora Jord. & Fourr.
Prunus domestica var. spinosa (L.) Kuntze
Prunus ericiflora A.Sav.
Prunus erythrocalyx var. rubella Clavaud
Prunus glomerata A.Sav.
Prunus insititia var. brachypoda Borbás
Prunus insititia var. spinosa (L.) Weston
Prunus kurdica Fenzl ex Fritsch
Prunus moldavica Kotov
Prunus ovata (Ser.) A.W.Hill
Prunus podolica Andrz.

and 175 more.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

Photo: Martin Olsson, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Gulsora, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: DidierFy, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: DidierFy, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: DidierFy, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Prunus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.