Prunus spinosa is the star of the week in this month's sensational explosion of flowering trees. Just as the cherry blossom is going over the woods are enveloped in a haze of white from the blackthorn blossom. This is a favorite with the bees, & although the trees are hermapoditic, our bees play a vital role in pollination. Blackthorn or sloe trees are small with graphite bark & dense thorny branches. Flowering just before the leaves appear in early spring, they are often referred to as the May Tree. Their fierce thorns ravage my hands in the autumn when I have the audacity to harvest the bitter fruit to make sloe gin for Christmas!
With the rising temperatures this April, Banba is laying increasingly & her bees are foraging diligently for pollen to feed the young. They collect water from the pond to dilute their food stores & return regularly to the hive with their back legs laden with pollen. It is a priviledge to live in their world.
