North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

I have Prunus spinosa.  It does sucker, but not to a horrible degree.  I've got shrub roses that sucker more than my P. spinosa.  Just avoid deep cultivation around the plant as disturbing the roots increases suckering.
I'll say that my P. spinosa is a novelty, being little more than a bush rather than a tree, but the fruit isn't anything that wonderful.  I have some P. insititia "White Bullace" that hangs on late like the P. spinosa, but is larger, more edible and a better fruit.  On the other hand, P. spinosa  is more resistant to disease where the P. insititia gets some gummosis on shoots.  Not terrible, but it's there, while the Sloe is clean.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003. 
For even more grape lessons, go to  http://www.grapeschool.com
For all other things grape,   http://www.vitisearch.com

On Mar 6, 2008, at 8:49 PM, Spidra Webster wrote:

Lon, you're skirting close to why I'd want to graft - I've heard  
Prunus spinosa suckers a LOT.  If I decide to use these as an edible  
hedge, I'd like them to stay in control.

Megan Lynch
Berkeley, CA Zone 9b