Fruit Trees | Plum

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How we pack your trees 0:59

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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 3:13

Pick of the Bunch | October Edition 1:33

'Oullins Golden Gage' Plum Tree Fruit Trees

Award-Winning Cordon Fruit Tree Collection | Apple, Pear & Plum Fruit Trees

'Merryweather' Damson Tree

The largest damson variety

Grown by Mike

Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Choose your size

Patio Tree in a 4.5L Pot

£50

60-90cm inc. pot on arrival

Pixy rootstock (grows up to 3m)

Out of stock

Cordon Tree in a 9L Pot

£50

£55

120-150cm on arrival

Out of stock

2 Year Old Tree in a 7.5L Pot

£50

£55

120-150cm inc. pot on arrival

SJA rootstock (grows up to 5m)

Out of stock

2 Year Old Bare Root Tree

£32

120-150cm inc. roots on arrival

SJA rootstock (grows up to 5m)

Out of stock

2 Year Old Dwarfing Bare Root Tree

£34

120-150cm inc. roots on arrival

Pixy rootstock (grows up to 3m)

Out of stock

Bare Root Cordon Tree

£34

120-150cm on arrival

Out of stock

£50

Currently out of stock

Plant diary

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'Merryweather' Damson Tree

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 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

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What to expect

Supplied as

4.5L Pot

Our bare root trees are lifted fresh from the field 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.

Height on arrival

60-90cm inc. pot

Eventual height

3m

Eventual spread

4m

Tasting notes

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.

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

Pixy rootstock (grows up to 3m)

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 'Merryweather' damson tree can be grown in a pot of at least 50 centimetres, provided it is on a dwarfing rootstock such as Pixy.

How big does it get?

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

How much watering does this plant need?

The 'Merryweather' Damson Tree requires approximately 3 to 4 centimetres of water weekly to produce its large, dual-purpose damsons.

Will this plant need pruning?

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

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.

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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.

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!

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.

26 February

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers

'Merryweather' Damson Tree

Choose your size

Patio Tree in a 4.5L Pot

Pixy rootstock (grows up to 3m)

Cordon Tree in a 9L Pot

2 Year Old Tree in a 7.5L Pot

SJA rootstock (grows up to 5m)

2 Year Old Bare Root Tree

SJA rootstock (grows up to 5m)

2 Year Old Dwarfing Bare Root Tree

Pixy rootstock (grows up to 3m)

Bare Root Cordon Tree

Plant diary

'Merryweather' Damson Tree

What to expect

Will this grow in my garden?

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What customers say about us

We do our best to provide you the best experience ever

Best plants you will ever get online

Highly recommended all round

Satisfied customer

A really good quality tree

Exceptional quality

Marvellous!