Early blossom

I often pass this small hedgerow tree on my way to the nature reserve and I've got used to seeing my first blossom on it each year. This year has been rather strange, with holly and blackthorn flowering absurdly early, but sure enough, this tree has been in flower for at least two weeks now. It is Prunus cerasifera or Cherry Plum and it's a wonderful source of nectar for early insects. It's not native in the UK, but has naturalised after being introduced from Southern Europe about 300 years ago. It produces a small, spherical, orange-red fruit that is usually too tart to eat fresh, but excellent for jam and chutney, however its main use is as a grafting rootstock for commercial varieties of plum.