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Expertly Grown in the UK
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Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

'Shropshire Prune' Damson Tree

Heavy-cropping, heritage damson

Grown by John

South Downs National Park

Choose your size

3 options

Choose your size

Shropshire Prune Damson Tree Fruit Trees
Shropshire Prune Damson Tree Fruit Trees
Shropshire Prune Damson Tree Fruit Trees

£30

£36

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Punchy, sharp taste that cooks down nicely
  • Ideal for northern gardens
  • Makes an outstanding damson crumble
  • Harvest from early September

Description

  • Heritage variety dating back over 400 years
  • Exceptionally hardy and a very reliable cropper once established
  • Excellent for use in cooking and particularly good for making wine and jams
  • 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

What To Expect

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

Eventual height:

4m
4m
4m

Eventual spread:

4m
4m
4m

Tasting notes:

Juicy and tarte with a richness
Juicy and tarte with a richness
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 "“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:

Pixy dwarfing rootstock
St. Julien A rootstock
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 rootstock
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:

How To Grow

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

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.

Some structural pruning required

Some pruning should be done each winter to ensure that your Plum tree maintains a productive shape. This can improve yields and prevent disease. Read more detail in our knowledge articles below.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every tree

John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.

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Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

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24 hours.

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We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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