A reliable hedgerow that not only adds privacy to the garden but produces delicious sloes every year. Dainty white flowers grow in abundance from the early days of spring, even before green leaves have the chance to appear, to spark life into typically dormant gardens. These hedges boast bushy foliage with oval-shaped leaves and thorny branches as summer rolls around, before small, inky black sloe fruits, very similar to damsons, grow in autumn. Recommended as ‘Plants for Pollinators’, the dense foliage forms admirable shelter for birds, while our feathered friends will also find the flurry of berries delicious! Seen across the UK in natural hedgerows as sloe bushes, any fruits left untouched by the birds can be picked when ripe in November and used to make a sweet, fruity flavoured gin. Boasting an impressive growth rate of 40-60cm per year, these hardy hedges perform well when planted in a variety of soil types and sunny or part-shaded spots. Avoid waterlogged locations and full shade.