The Reto blackthorn is a refined new breed of wild blackthorn, which has particularly large and less acidic fruits than its wild relatives. If you have previously avoided planting this pretty shrub in your garden because of the blackthorn's numerous roots, Reto blackthorn is a good alternative.
What is a blackthorn Reto?
The Reto blackthorn is a refined new breed of blackthorn with large, sweet and sour fruits, fewer thorns and root runners. It grows as a small fruit tree, prefers nutrient-rich, calcareous soil and can be harvested before the first frost. Flowers and fruits have he alth-promoting properties.
The growth habit
Through grafting, the large-fruited sloe does not grow as a shrub, but rather as a small fruit tree. Uncut, it reaches a height of around three meters. Due to this slimmer growth, you can easily integrate the Reto blackthorn into small gardens. It forms no root runners and hardly any thorns.
Flower and fruit
In early spring, before the leaves emerge, the dense white flowers appear, which contrast attractively with the dark bark of the trunk. The flowers, which smell slightly of almond, are edible and are considered a valuable natural medicine. The dark blue fruits of this blackthorn are almost the size of a sour cherry. Since they contain less tannins than wild sloes, they taste pleasantly sweet and sour when raw and can be harvested before the first frost.
Location and climate
The refined blackthorn Reto is not quite as undemanding to the soil as the blackthorn. It prefers a warm, sufficiently moist location in the garden. Waterlogging should be avoided. This blackthorn loves nutrient-rich, calcareous substrate and thrives particularly well on sandy, stony, loamy soils.
Harvesting and use of fruits
You don't have to wait until the first frost to harvest the Reto blackthorn; you can eat the ripe blackthorn directly raw. The ripening process is complete when the skin of the fruit up to the stem has turned a dark blue. The large fruits taste aromatic and sweet and are an enrichment to the autumn fruit plate. The delicious fruits can also be processed into jam, wine or liqueur.
Both the blackthorn flowers and the fruits are considered gentle natural medicines because of their valuable ingredients. Thanks to their high vitamin C content, they strengthen the immune system.
Tips & Tricks
Enjoy a small glass of sloe juice every day during the winter months as effective protection against colds.
