Cydonia oblonga

Cydonia oblonga  Quince

Membrillo

This 2-4 metre tall shrub originated in SW Asia, Turkey and north Iran to Afghanistan, but is now naturalised in Spain.  The large Quince fruits are very popular in cooking, making jams, and lots of other different foodstuffs including desserts. It is cultivated in many countries. It flowers from March to May. It is hardy and drought tolerant but needs hot summers to ripen the fruit.

Prunus spinosa

Prunus spinosa Blackthorn/Sloe

Endrino

This deciduous shrub or small tree is native to Europe, Asia and NW Africa. It has now naturalised in New Zealand and eastern United States. It can grow to an height of 5 metres and has very thorny branches. It has creamy white flowers that appear in early spring before the Hawthorn, and produces drupes, or sloes in the autumn. They can be used to make Sloe Gin as it is called in the UK, or a liquor in other parts of the world. The bark of the shrub is very dark, hence its name, and makes good fire wood.

Rubus ulmifolius

Rubus ulmifolius Wild Blackberry

Zarzamora

This sweet wild Blackberry is native to Europe and North Africa, but has now naturalised on other continents. It can be a pest, growing in the wrong place, and will spread up to 6 metres in length as it scrambles. In southern Spain the berries remain very small and dry due to the lack of rainfall. It flowers from May to July and usually fruits in August. The berries contain vitamins, A, B, C and also iron. They also contain flavonoids which prevent cancer and reduce cholesterol. They make delicious blackberry and apple crumbles or pies.

Sanguisorba minor

Sanguisorba minor Salad burnet

Pimpinala menor

This lovely little plant is native to much of western and southern Europe, north Africa and SW Asia. It flowers from March to September and grows from 10~50cms tall. It's leaves can be used in salads and dressings and used to be used in the relief of diarrhoea.

Prunus dulcis

Prunus dulcis Almond tree

Almendro

The last photograph may be a subspecies as the flowers are much pinker than most of the almond trees. It is a native of the Mediterranean of the Middle East and Asia. It has naturalised in many temperature countries and widely cultivated worldwide. The wild almond is very bitter and contains cyanide in the fruit. It is not understood how our ancestors decided which almond tree to cultivate, perhaps by getting people to eat lots of almonds and watching for which dropped dead! The actual almond is a drupe, with an outer hull and inner hard shell, therefore not a true nut. The tree grows from 4 to 10m tall and flowers from December to May.

There is lots more information on the almond on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond

Eriobotrya japonica

Eriobotrya japonica Loquat

Nisperos

This large, evergreen shrub, or small tree is native to southern China. It flowers from October to January and has an amazing perfume to fill the winter days. The small orange fruits appear in April and May and have a large stone, almost a third of the size of the fruit. It was cultivated in Japan and has been grown there for over a 1,000 years. It is now very popular in southern Spain and can reach a height of 10metres. In Chinese medicine the Loquat is used as a syrup for soothing the throat and coughs.

Diplolepis mayri

Diplolepis mayri Rose gall

I found this gall in June on a wild rose. It was created by an insect, which I can't identify.

Rosa for id

Rosa for id

May to July

Rosa canina

Rosa canina  Dog rose

Escaramujo

May to July

Crataegus monogyna

Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn or May blossom

Espino majuelo

It is native to Europe,  NW Africa and western Asia. It is a shrub or a small tree and can grow to a height of 10 metres. It flowers in May and June giving off a distinct aroma which is sometimes unpleasant to some people.