Steve Downer / Timelapse of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers opening, UK, April.

Guy Edwardes / 2020VISION / Ladybird on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Somerset Levels, Somerset, England, UK, April

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) adult perched in Blackthorn hedgerow with insect prey for young, Hope Farm RSPB reserve, Cambridgeshire, UK, May

Colin Varndell / Female Orange tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) at rest on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom. Dorset, UK April

Colin Varndell / Close up of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Spring, Dorset, UK

Niall Benvie / Photograph of Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) manipulated and text added to represent illustrated book page. Scotland, UK, July

Wild Wonders of Europe / della F / Lichens growing on a Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) near Zadrzani village, Northern Livanjsko Polje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 2009

Alan Williams / Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) male singing perched on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Essex, UK, May

Andy Sands / Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) in full song among Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Hertfordshire, England, UK.

Phil Savoie / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), flowers, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, April

Phil Savoie / Orange tailed mining bee (Halictus rubicundus) feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

Phil Savoie / Orange tailed mining bee (Halictus rubicundus) male feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

Phil Savoie / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

Phil Savoie / Yellow legged mining bee (Andrena flavipes) feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

TJ Rich / Small eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) caterpillar larval tent on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) bush. Martin Down National Nature Reserve, Hampshire, England, UK. June.

TJ Rich / Small eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) caterpillar, two basking on larval tent on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Martin Down National Nature Reserve, Hampshire, England, UK. June.

Mike Read / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers. Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England, UK. April.

Oliver Hellowell / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in flower against blue sky, England, UK, March.

Stephen Dalton / Spring at Rookery Pond with Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Sussex, England, UK. April.

Kerstin Hinze / Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus), adult, climbing between flowering blackthorn, captive. April.

Ernie Janes / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) sloes and Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) Norfolk, England, UK, August.

Ernie Janes / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) sloes and Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) Norfolk, England, UK, August.

Ernie Janes / Footpath sign in Norfolk countryside with Blackthorn hedgerow (Prunus spinosa) in flower. Norfolk, England, UK. April.

Sue Daly / Sloes, blackthorn fruit, (Prunus spinosa), Sark, British Channel Islands, October.

Gary K. Smith / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers.

Dave Bevan / Male Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. March.

Dave Bevan / Female Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. March.

Nick Upton / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) wide angle pan, Wiltshire, England, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in blossom, Wiltshire, England, UK, April.

Gary K. Smith / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) male perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk, UK, April

Gary K. Smith / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) female perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk, UK, April

Gary K. Smith / Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) male perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk, UK, April

Gary K. Smith / Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) male perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk, UK, April

Gary K. Smith / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) male perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk, UK, April

Gary K. Smith / Robin (Erithacus rubecula) perched on Blackthorn blossom, Norfolk,UK, April

Will Watson / Large white butterflies (Pieris brassica) on Blacklthorn (Prunus spinosa), Worcestershire, England, UK, June.

Andres M. Dominguez / Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) male perched on perched on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) with berries. Cantabria, Spain, August.

Colin Varndell / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) in flower. Dorset, UK April.

Matthew Maran / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) close up of blossom, Hampstead Heath, London, England, UK, February.

Will Watson / Sloe / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) fruit in hedgerow, Hertfordshire, England, UK, August.

Ernie Janes / Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Norfolk, England, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in flower, Norfolk, England, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in flower, Norfolk, England, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Norfolk, England, UK, April.

Colin Varndell / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom in spring. Dorset, UK, April.

Gary K. Smith / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers in spring, England, UK, May.

Fabrice Cahez / Blackthorn / Sloe (Prunus spinosa) in flower, Vosges, France, April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. March.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. March.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak DIstrict National Park, Derbyshire, UK. March.

Russell Cooper / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) London, UK, March.

Russell Cooper / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom. South-west London, UK, March.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. April.

Mike Wilkes / Robin (Erithacus rubecula) perched on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) with sloe berries. Warwickshire, UK, December.

Fabrice Cahez / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Vosges, France, April.

Nick Upton / Low angle view of Blackthorn / Sloe berries (Prunus spinosa), Gloucestershire, UK, September.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn fruit / Sloes (Prunus spinosa) in a hedgerow. Powys, Wales. November.

Colin Varndell / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) sloes and Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) ripening in tangled hedgerow, Dorset. September.

Mike Wilkes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perched in blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Warwickshire, UK, December.

Mike Wilkes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perched in Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Warwickshire, UK, December.

Mike Wilkes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perched on Blackthorn sloes (Prunus spinosa), Warwickshire, UK, December.

Mike Wilkes / Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perched on Blackthorn sloes (Prunus spinosa), Warwickshire, UK, December.

Alan Williams / Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) singing at top of Blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa) on farmland, Cheshire, UK, April.

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in flower in hedgerow. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Recently mechanically flayed Blackthorn hedge, Norfolk, UK, December

Nick Upton / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) hovering to feed from Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa), Wiltshire, UK, April.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Illustration of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Detail of leaves and fruit. Pencil and watercolor painting.

Loic Poidevin / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) with sloe berries. French Pyrenees, September.

Andy Sands / Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) feeding on nectar from Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, Hertfordshire, England, UK, March

Gary K. Smith / Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) male perched on Blackthorn in flower, Norfolk, UK, April

Sandra Bartocha / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers, Germany, April

Ernie Janes / Gorse (Ulex europaeus) and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowing along country lane, Salthouse Heath, Norfolk, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Gorse (Ulex europaeus) and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowering, Salthouse Heath, Norfolk, UK, April.

Ross Hoddinott / Blackthorn berries / sloes (Prunus spinosa) Bossington, Somerset, UK, August.

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Landscape view of RSPB's Hope Farm reserve showing Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) crop growing with winter stubble in the foreground and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) hedgerow in blossom in the backgrou...

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Landscape view of RSPB's Hope Farm reserve showing Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) crop growing with winter stubble in the foreground and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) hedgerow in blossom in the backgrou...

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Mature hedgerow with Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in flower, Hope Farm RSPB reserve, Cambridgeshire, England, UK, April

Alex Hyde / Blackthorn fruit 'sloes' (Prunus spinosa) close up of fruit, Derbyshire, UK, October.

Kerstin Hinze / Fat / Edible dormouse (Glis glis) feeding in blackthorn / sloe bush (Prunus spinosa) at night, Lower Saxony, Germany,

Colin Varndell / Sloe / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) berries, Dorset, UK, September

Colin Varndell / Orange Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) at rest on Blackthorn (prunus spinosa) blossom. Dorset, UK, April.

Ross Hoddinott / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom. North Cornwall, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers close up with background of blossom. Cornwall, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Robin (Erithacus rubecula) perched amongst Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom, UK

Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION / Small bug (unidentified) on Blackthorn {Prunus spinosa} with sloes forming, wildlife rich hedgerows, Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Lampeter, Wales, UK. June

Guy Edwardes / 2020VISION / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa), Somerset Levels, England, UK, April

Guy Edwardes / 2020VISION / Blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa), Somerset Levels, England, UK, April

Ernie Janes / Autumn berries of Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) UK

Ernie Janes / Autumn berries of Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) UK

Ernie Janes / Sloe berries / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and red Pyracanthus berries, UK

Adrian Davies / Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowering. UK, April.

Simon Colmer / Blackthorn / Sloe fruit (Prunus spinosa) Levin Down Nature Reserve, Sussex, UK, August