What it needs & gives back
↓ Needs
Sunlightfull sun to partial shade
Watermedium
↑ Gives back
Biomassmedium
Nectarfor pollinators
Pollenfor pollinators
Fruitedible sloe berries
Through the year
Flowering
Flowers early in spring after chill fulfillment and rising temperatures.
Fruiting
Fruits develop after flowering, typically ripening in late summer to early autumn.
Harvest
Sloes are traditionally harvested after the first autumn frost, which softens them and reduces astringency.
Senescence
Leaves senesce and drop after the first autumn frost.
Dormancy
Enters dormancy after leaf drop, requiring a period of cold for chill fulfillment.
Timing is relative to your local season (temperate Northern Hemisphere).
Soil interactions
Drainagewell-drained to moist
Nitrogen fixingNo
MycorrhizalYes
Accumulatespotassium, calcium
Soil textureloam, clay, sandy_loam
Organic matterMedium
Compaction toleranceHigh
Propagation
Methodsseed, cuttings, suckers
Difficulty2 / 5
Establishes in~2 yr
Stratificationcold stratification required
Self-seedingModerate
Divisionautumn
Wildlife & pests
Attractsbees, butterflies, birds, small mammals
Can host pestsblackthorn aphid, caterpillars of various moths
Can host diseasessilver leaf disease, bacterial canker