Fruit Trees | Plum
Heritage fruit trees and plants (46)Apricot trees (9)Cherry trees (23)
Why choose a Roots plum tree?
Why choose a Roots plum tree? 1:32
Homegrown vs supermarket plums: which taste better?
Homegrown vs supermarket plums: which taste better? 1:31
Here's how we grow over 30,000 fruit trees a year
Here's how we grow over 30,000 fruit trees a year 1:47
How we pack your trees
How we pack your trees 0:59
Why buy a bare root tree?
Why buy a bare root tree? 0:58
What to do when your bare root tree arrives (and you're not ready to plant)
What to do when your bare root tree arrives (and you're not ready to plant) 0:38
How to plant a bare root tree
How to plant a bare root tree 3:13
Pick of the Bunch | October Edition
Pick of the Bunch | October Edition 1:49
RHS award winner Farleigh Damson Tree Fruit Trees
'Farleigh' Damson Tree Fruit Trees
'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees
Farleigh Damson Tree Fruit Trees
'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
RHS award winner Farleigh Damson Tree Fruit Trees 'Farleigh' Damson Tree Fruit Trees 'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees Farleigh Damson Tree Fruit Trees 'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
Trustpilot

'Farleigh' Damson Tree

The best of all damsons?

Grown by Mike

Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Choose your size
'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees 'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees 'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees

Choose your size

'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees
'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees
'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees

Out of stock

Β£45
Β£45

Currently out of stock

Currently out of stock

Currently out of stock

Plant diary

  • Flower
  • Harvest
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

'Farleigh' Damson Tree

  • A really productive tree which produces an abundance of large, plump damsons of the most amazing colour. A real showstopper when in fruit.
  • Sweet, rich plums are usually used in cooking but can be eaten fresh when fully ripe
  • RHS Award winner
  • Late Harvest - September
  • Max size H4m x W4m - SJA Rootstock Rootstocks restrict the size of a tree to make it more suited for an average gardenMORE
  • Self fertile - Pollination Group 3 Requires pollination by another plum, damson, mirabelle or gage tree within a mile's radius. They need to flower at the same time. Plums in the same pollination group, or one either side, can pollinate each other. In built up areas it is unlikely that there won't be a suitable pollination partner within a mileMORE
  • Damsons can take up to 10-15 years to start producing substantial crops, so you should be prepared for a little wait
  • Our trees are usually between 18 and 36 months old at the time of dispatch.
  • Our trees are professionally pruned before dispatching. This formative pruning can involve cutting the main leader, if the expert tree growers decide this will produce a better shaped tree. This can stop the tree becoming "leggy", and promote stronger, bushier growth.MORE
View full details

What to expect

Supplied as

Tree in 7.5L Premium Pot
This tree is supplied in a premium 7.5L rigid pot. This facilitates excellent root development and helps keep your tree both happy and healthy.

Height on arrival

120-150cm inc. pot

Eventual height

5m

Eventual spread

4m

Tasting notes

Juicy and tarte with a richness

Time to first crop

5 Years
You may see your first damsons 4/5 years after planting, but you should not expect substantial crops for 10/15 years. There is an ancient rhyme "Β“He who plants plums Plants for his sons. He who plants damsons Plants for his grandsons" - thankfully new rootstocks have expedited that a little bit, but still worth bearing in mind.

Hardiness

Hardy
May require some protection from very late frosts as this can damage the flowers. This won't cause lasting damage to the tree but will reduce the yield of fruit that year.

Pollination group

3
Pollination groups relate to the time of the year when a tree flowers. Trees that flower at the same time can pollinate each other, which helps produce fruit if not self fertile, and can still improve yields even if they are. Trees can usually pollinate a group either side of their own; i.e "2" can Pollinate 1, 2, and 3

Uses

Eating, Making Jams

Rootstock

SJA rootstock (grows up to 5m)
Plum varieties are usually grown by grafting them to rootstocks. This has benefits for pest resistance, genetics and the efficiency of propagation. Importantly, it also limits the height of a tree to a more manageable, specific height. SJA plum trees tend to only reach 4m tall, perfect for smaller spaces or those afraid of stepladders. They can also be trained to a smaller size by pruning or restricting the roots, by keeping in a smaller pot

Will this grow in my garden?

Can I grow this in a pot?

The 'Farleigh' damson tree is suitable for a pot of 50 to 60 centimetres, provided it is on a dwarfing rootstock like Pixy.

How big does it get?

The Farleigh Damson Tree typically reaches a mature height of 3 to 4.5 metres and a spread of 3 to 4 metres, though this can be restricted by using dwarfing rootstocks.

How much sunlight does this need?

For optimal growth and fruit production, planting Farleigh Damson in a location that receives full sunlight, ideally at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun per day, is essential. It thrives in a warm, sunny position with temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius.

What kind of soil does this plant prefer?

The 'Farleigh' damson tree prefers moist but well-drained, loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.

How much watering does this plant need?

The 'Farleigh' Damson Tree requires around 3 to 4 centimetres of water weekly to maintain its heavy, reliable crops of small fruits.

Will this plant need pruning?

Yes, the 'Farleigh' Damson Tree will need pruning. Prune in early to mid-summer to avoid silver leaf disease, trimming back new growth by 10 to 15 centimetres.

How hardy is this plant?

The 'Farleigh' damson tree is fully hardy in all of the UK, holding an RHS hardiness rating of H6, which means it can withstand temperatures from -15Β°C to -20Β°C.

The wider garden

Fruit Trees

201 plants

Plum Trees

30 plants

Heritage Fruit Trees and Plants

46 plants

Apricot Trees

9 plants

Cherry Trees

23 plants

Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Mike

Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe

Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.

What customers say about us

We do our best to provide you the best experience ever

Great
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
Based on 33,872 reviews
β˜… Trustpilot
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… βœ” Verified
Anne Margaret, 21 hours ago
As always a pleasure to do bus...
As always a pleasure to do business with you
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… βœ” Verified
Lucy, 3 days ago
Great product very healthy tree
Great product very healthy tree
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
Asha Duttweiler, 4 days ago
Plants in excellent condition
The plants I ordered arrived soon after ordering in excellent condition...
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… βœ” Verified
Mary, 6 days ago
Brilliant service
I have had several plants from roots now and all been very good and sti...

Learn from our experts

For growing advice that's clear and easy to follow

5 Things To Know Before Buying a Plum Tree

5 Things to Know Before Buying a Plum Tree
How Train a Victoria Plum

How to Train a Victoria Plum
how to store plums

How to Store Plums and Use Up Your Crop
how to plant a tree

How To Plant a Tree: Potted Trees and Bare Root
10 Fruit Trees For Pots & Containers

10 Fruit Trees For Pots & Containers
See all articles

What customers say about us

We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
10 May

Best plants you will ever get online

I have ordered plants from them twice this year. They arrived well packaged, on time and looked strong and healthy. I feel the staff from Roots plants deal with their plants and customers with passion and care. I can’t wait to order again, price is good as well.

Peter Mawer
2 May

Highly recommended all round

Delivered quickly, perfectly packaged and the tree was in excellent condition. Really healthy and taken to the garden with no problems. Can't recommend highly enough. 5 stars isn't enough!

John Harris
3 April

Satisfied customer

Unlike other online sellers, this company are well ahead in the quality stakes. My plant arrived promptly as per their promise and the plant was much more established and healthy than I had expected. It’s the second time I have ordered from them and I have faith in their promise. Excellent service.

Karen McEwan
26 February

A really good quality tree

A really good quality tree, delivered on time and very well packaged. But the emailed planting advice and supporting information was what really impressed me. Thoroughly recommended.

Martin C Simmons
18 May

Exceptional quality

The quality of the plants was exceptional, unlike ones I have had before from local garden centres. Thank you so much. I will definitely be using you again.

Sara Bradley
22 February

Marvellous!

Marvellous service, great plants and fast delivery. Very useful information on how to care for the plants I bought. Easy to use website that makes it far too easy to overindulge in fabulous plants πŸ˜‚πŸŒ±

Cheryl Mae Owen
Trustpilot

Fighting plastic waste

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers