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Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown In The UK
Carefully Hand Delivered
Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown In The UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

Merryweather Damson Tree

The largest damson variety, great for cooking & jams

The Highlights

    • The juicy, acidic nature of this Damson makes it perfect for cooking, sauces and preserves
    • Fruits can also be eaten fresh when ripe and carry a tangy, mildly sweet flavour
    • The fruits are unusually large and plump, really quite a spectacle on the tree
    • Late harvest - September
    • Good disease resistance
    • 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) - will produce good crops without pollination
    • Damsons can take up to 10-15 years to start producing substantial crops, so you should be prepared for a little wait
    • Our potted trees are supplied in EcoPots™. Eco pots use 70% less plastic and are fully recyclable, unlike normal single use pots. They flex and so produce less root spiralling and travel better in the post.MORE
    • 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

Merryweather Damson Tree

The largest damson variety, great for cooking & jams
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The Highlights

    • The juicy, acidic nature of this Damson makes it perfect for cooking, sauces and preserves
    • Fruits can also be eaten fresh when ripe and carry a tangy, mildly sweet flavour
    • The fruits are unusually large and plump, really quite a spectacle on the tree
    • Late harvest - September
    • Good disease resistance
    • 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) - will produce good crops without pollination
    • Damsons can take up to 10-15 years to start producing substantial crops, so you should be prepared for a little wait
    • Our potted trees are supplied in EcoPots™. Eco pots use 70% less plastic and are fully recyclable, unlike normal single use pots. They flex and so produce less root spiralling and travel better in the post.MORE
    • 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

Know Your Plant

Supplied as:

Bare Root Tree
Bare Root
Our bare root trees are lifted fresh from the field, wrapped in a moisture retentive covering and packed straight away. You can be sure they will be fresh when they arrive. In winter, you can store for several weeks if kept in a cool, dark spot. Later in spring, when the temperature rises, you will want to plant within a few days of arrival.
9L Eco Pot
This tree is supplied in a 9L Eco Pot, which is approx W15 x H30cm. Eco Pots use 70% less plastic then traditional pots and can be recycled easily. A 9L pot allows ample space for good root development and can support a good size tree.

Height on arrival:

120-150cm incl. roots
120-150cm inc. roots
120-150cm inc. pot

Eventual height:

4m
4m

Eventual spread:

4m
4m
4m

Tasting notes:

Juicy and acidic, cooks down nicely into a rich tasting puree
Juicy and acidic, cooks down nicely into a rich tasting puree
Juicy and acidic, cooks down nicely into a rich tasting puree

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 "“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.
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 "“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.
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.
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
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
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
Eating, Making Jams
Eating, Making Jams

Rootstock:

St. Julien A
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
St. Julien A
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

Spacing:

Care Guide

Excellent Pest and Disease Resistance

Shows excellent resistance to the main pests and diseases for plum trees including cracking. There may still be a need to keep an eye out for aphids and caterpillars, which can both be washed away with soapy water. Birds will eat the aphids if given the chance so take steps to prevent this like using a fruit net or bird scarers.MORE

Water in well when planting - read on for ongoing care

Water in thoroughly when planting. For bare root trees, you won't need to water regularly going forward, only water in dry spells when needed. You should be able tell because the leaves will start to wilt and droop. If a container grown tree, it will need more watering until its roots are established. It should be watered every other day or so for the first few months. Then reduce to twice a week until autumn. In the second year it should have a established enough root system to support itself, just water when required as explained above for bare roots. When watering a tree it is important to give a good soaking. It is better to water heavy and less frequently than little and often as this encourages the roots to grow down into the ground.

Full sun

Full sun means receiving direct sun for more than 6 hours each day during the spring/summer

Prefers well drained, loamy soils

Will tolerate less than perfect conditions but may not fruit too well. Will struggle in poorly draining soil.

No need to feed

Don't worry, this isn't a hungry plant so your food bills won't be going up!

For more care tips and ideas visit our Knowledge page

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

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