The leaves when picked young are very glutinous, they can be used in soup to thicken it. The roots can be boiled until thick and used to make marshmallows
The small fruits are a sweet foraging treat. You can eat then straight from the shrub. You can also chop them and eat with cereal, pancakes, salads etc. The dried leaves make a vitamin C rich tea.
Will grow into a very large tree if not coppiced. Often slender for a big tree, tapering towards the top. In woodland, it will develop a very tall, straight trunk.
Messy-looking, dense, twiggy, spiny, spreading. Generally looks like a big bush rather than a tree. Can form impenetrable thickets. Can be surrounded by suckers. Hard to see any central trunk.