Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

ShrubsTrees

Prunus spinosa 'Plena' (d)

blackthorn 'Plena'

A deciduous, spiny dense shrub or a small tree to 5m tall, with dark stems and ovate green leaves. In spring it is covered with small, double white flowers

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
1 suppliers

Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing or North–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Seed kernels harmful if eaten, wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets (dogs, rabbits, rodents): Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow hrub or small tree, that can be used for hedging. Grows in any moist well-drained soil in full sun or light, dappled shade

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 1. Prune in mid-summer if silver leaf is a problem

Pests

May be susceptible to damage from aphids, caterpillars and bullfinches

Diseases

May be susceptible to silver leaf and blossom wilt

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.