Sloe

Sloe has blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches. It is a huge deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 5 meters (16 feet) in height. Its oval leaves are 1.2–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) wide, 2–4.5 cm (3⁄4–1+3⁄4 in) long, and have a serrated edge. The flowers, which are hermaphrodite and insect-pollinated, are produced in early spring just before the leaves and have five creamy-white petals. They are about 1.5 cm (1⁄2 in) in diameter. Traditionally collected in October or November, following the first frosts, the "sloe" is a drupe that is 10–12 millimeters (3⁄8–1⁄2 in) in diameter, black, and has a purple-blue waxy bloom. It ripens in the fall. Sloes have a very strong astringent flavor when they are fresh and have thin flesh.


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