Blackthorn. This small tree, also known as Sloe, will be familiar to many as it is seen in hedgerows across Sussex. The flowers appear in early spring, before the leaves, turning hedgerows into fluffy clouds of blossom. Blackthorn is brilliant for wildlife, providing an early source of pollen for bees and other insects, it is a food plant for moths and Brown Hairstreak Butterflies and the dense thorns provide protection for numerous nesting birds. Film by Barry Yates | Sussex Wildlife Trust