Blackthorn Scrub BNG Units
Medium
Heathland and shrub
Trusted by Developers and Landowners
What is Blackthorn Scrub?
Blackthorn Scrub is a dense shrub habitat dominated by blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), a native thorn-bearing species widespread across lowland England. It develops where unmanaged hedgerows, field margins or grasslands thicken into tall, spiny thickets typically 3–5 m high.
Why It Matters for BNG
Blackthorn scrub supports dense cover, early nectar and seasonal food resources. Enhancing scrub structure helps deliver moderate to good condition units.
Allowing natural regeneration and increasing shrub diversity produces dependable BNG units. Scrub requires low management and delivers clear ecological benefits.
Where You'll Find It
Blackthorn Scrub is common across:
• Hedgerows and field boundaries
• Woodland edges and abandoned grassland
• Roadside verges and rail corridors
• Chalk and limestone landscapes of lowland England
Soil & Site Requirements
Blackthorn grows best on:
• Well-drained, moderately fertile soils
• Base-rich or neutral substrates with good moisture retention
• Open, unshaded land where lateral spread is unrestricted
How New Blackthorn Scrub Is Created
Inputs
• Allow natural regeneration from hedgerows or existing scrub edges
• Cease intensive cutting that prevents thicket formation
• Reduce grazing pressure to allow stems to establish
• Support colonisation on suitable mesotrophic soils
• Avoid excessive ground disturbance that suppresses shrub establishment
Management
• Leave areas unmanaged to allow stems to thicken and spread
• Permit suckering and seedling development from Prunus spinosa
• Exclude frequent trimming that restricts height and structure
• Allow bramble (Rubus fruticosus) to contribute to understorey density
Landscape
• Position creation adjacent to existing hedgerows or scrub
• Encourage natural expansion into field corners, margins or buffer strips
• Establish on land where scrub expansion supports wider habitat mosaics
How Existing Blackthorn Scrub Is Improved
Inputs
• Introduce additional native shrubs (e.g., hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, hazel Corylus avellana)
• Break up uniform stands to create varied age structure
• Maintain open glades or narrow rides within larger scrub blocks
• Enhance scrub edges for smoother transition into adjacent habitats
Management
• Coppice selected patches to promote regeneration and structural diversity
• Maintain at least three native woody species to meet Moderate condition
• Prevent any single species—typically blackthorn—from exceeding 75% dominance
• Remove invasive non-native plants listed under Schedule 9
• Retain areas of natural regeneration, including young shrubs and saplings
Landscape
• Use management to connect hedgerows, grasslands and woodland edges
• Break up large monocultures to improve ecological resilience
• Integrate scrub into wider site mosaics for improved habitat linkages
Target Condition
Blackthorn Scrub in its defined BNG condition should:
• Display 50–75% canopy cover of characteristic native scrub species
• Contain at least three native woody species
• Present evidence of regeneration (seedlings, saplings, young stems)
• Show no presence of Schedule 9 invasive species
• Include some internal variation such as glades, rides or mixed age classes
• Maintain scrub height below 5 m for Moderate condition classification
Good condition requires all Moderate criteria plus strong structural variation and well-integrated edges.
The BNG Value of Blackthorn Scrub
• Distinctiveness: Medium
• Condition Potential: Moderate to good, where multi species scrub, open glades and structural variation increase habitat value
• Habitat Connectivity: Strengthens hedgerow networks, woodland edges and mixed scrub mosaics that support birds, invertebrates and small mammals
• Climate and Landscape Context: Provides stable cover, early nectar, autumn berries and seasonal shelter, contributing to broader landscape resilience
Species Typical of Blackthorn Scrub
Primary / Canopy Layer (Shrub Dominants)
• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) – commonly co-occurring
• Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) – where conditions allow
Secondary / Understorey Layer
• Hazel (Corylus avellana) – patchy
• Elder (Sambucus nigra)
• Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
Ground Flora / Understorey
• Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
• Woodland herbs near edges: primrose (Primula vulgaris), stitchwort (Stellaria media)
• Mosses and lichens typical of lightly shaded scrub
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blackthorn Scrub?
Dense thickets dominated by Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). These habitats are ecologically important for providing sheltered nesting sites and food (nectar/berries) for birds and butterflies.
How is BNG measured here?
Assessed by the coverage and density of Blackthorn and the relative absence of non-native or invasive species.
How can I achieve BNG?
Enhancement by managing the scrub edge and controlling invasive species. Creation by planting Blackthorn along field margins or boundaries.
What is the BNG target condition?
Aiming for a Moderate to Good condition, characterized by healthy, dense growth of Blackthorn with diverse associated flora and a managed edge.
What management is required?
Periodic rotational flailing/cutting on a long cycle (e.g., 5-10 years) to rejuvenate the scrub and prevent it from becoming overly dense and shading out the ground layer.
Exploring Other Habitats?
Arable Field Margins Pollen and Nectar
Arable field margins pollen and nectar are grass margins around arable fields sown with wildflowers and legumes managed specifically to provide pollen and nectar resources for invertebrates. The mix must include at least four nectar-rich flowering species and the margin is kept low-input and rotationally cut to maintain flowering through the season. The arable field must remain in a crop rotation including an arable crop.
Unlike wild bird seed margins, the management objective here is flowering continuity for pollinators rather than seed retention for birds. This habitat type sits within the Cropland broad habitat in the BNG metric and is classified separately from tussocky margins, cultivated margins and game bird mix.
Arable Field Margins Game Bird Mix
Arable field margins game bird mix are margins, strips, blocks or corners around arable fields sown with wild bird cover crops and left unharvested over winter so that seed produced by the plants remains available to farmland wildlife. The arable field must be in a crop rotation that includes an arable crop, such as wheat, barley, maize or oats, even if in certain years the field is in temporary grass, set-aside or fallow.
Mixes typically combine seed-bearing cereals, brassicas and oil-rich crops to provide food through the winter hungry gap and standing cover for gamebirds and declining farmland bird species.
Arable Field Margins Cultivated Annually
Arable field margins cultivated annually are strips along the edges of arable fields, typically 2–12 metres wide, managed under a low-input regime to support annual arable plants. They are lightly cultivated each year, usually in late summer or autumn, without herbicide or fertiliser, creating the open, disturbed soil conditions that annual arable flora requires to germinate.
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