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blackthorn, blackthorn plum, sloe, sloe cherry

Mahaleb cherry, Mahaleb or perfumed or St. Lucie cherry, perfumed cherry, St. Lucie cherry

Habit Shrubs, suckering, 10–40 dm, thorny. Shrubs or trees, not suckering, 30–150 dm, not thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, hairy.

with terminal end buds, densely puberulent.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 4–7 mm, hairy, eglandular;

blade elliptic to obovate, 1.5–4 × 1–2.2 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, often glandular, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface hairy (especially along midribs and veins), adaxial glabrate.

deciduous;

petiole 4–20 mm, glabrous or ± puberulent on adaxial surface, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–2, discoid;

blade broadly ovate, oblong, or suborbiculate, 1.9–4.5 × 1.2–3.4 cm, base usually rounded to truncate, sometimes subcordate, margins crenate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly acuminate, apicula obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes midribs and veins hairy abaxially.

Inflorescences

usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.

4–10-flowered, corymbs;

central axes 8–40 mm.

Pedicels

0.5–5(–8) mm, usually glabrous, rarely hairy.

6–18 mm (subtended by leafy bracts), glabrous.

Flowers

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium cupulate, 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals spreading, oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, surfaces glabrous or adaxially hairy at bases;

petals white, elliptic, 4–8 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

blooming at leaf emergence;

hypanthium conic-campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals reflexed, oblong, 1.3–2 mm, margins entire, surfaces glabrous;

petals white, elliptic to obovate, 6–7 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

Drupes

bluish black, globose, 10–15 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones subglobose, ± flattened.

dark red to black, ovoid, 6–10 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps leathery;

stones ellipsoid to subglobose, ± flattened.

2n

= 32.

= 16.

Prunus spinosa

Prunus mahaleb

Phenology Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Aug–Sep. Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jun–Jul.
Habitat Roadsides Roadsides, stream banks, limestone bluffs and quarries, lowland thickets and woods, fencerows, chaparral
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; ID; MA; ME; MI; NY; OR; WA; BC; NS; ON; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; MT; NC; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; TN; UT; VA; WA; WV; BC; ON; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

As past flora writers (C. L. Hitchcock et al. 1955–1969; E. G. Voss 1972–1996) have noted, the distinctions between Prunus spinosa and P. domestica are not clear. Some researchers consider the hexaploid P. domestica to have been derived from the tetraploid P. spinosa, often in a scenario involving hybridization with P. cerasifera. It should not be surprising that some of the characters used in keys to separate these three taxa (spininess, indument, leaf size, pedicel length, numbers of flowers per bud) are subject to variation within each species and overlap among the species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Prunus mahaleb was introduced to North America as a rootstock for commercial cherries and is now sometimes cultivated for its attractive and fragrant flowers. At one time, the aromatic wood was a favorite for tobacco pipes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 376. FNA vol. 9, p. 366.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 475. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 474. (1753)
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