Best Damson Varieties for Scotland

Damson trees are hardy, but their blossom isn't, so in Scotland the choice comes down to how late each variety flowers and where you plant it. Three are recommended, all self-fertileA plant that can set fruit using its own pollen, without needing a second, different variety nearby to cross-pollinate it. Full definition →, so one tree will crop.

What Scotland means for the choice

The trees are rated H6The RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →, hardy to between -20 and -15°C, but frost can damage the delicate blossom, and late frosts are common across much of Scotland (see the frost dates). Late-flowering varieties are useful in colder regions. Damsons crop best in a warm, sheltered site in full sun, so avoid frost pocketsA low-lying spot where cold air drains and pools on still nights, making it noticeably more frost-prone than the surrounding area. Full definition → and strong winds, and in colder sites train the tree against a south-, south-west or west-facing wall or fence. They also dislike waterlogged soil. The damson growing guide covers planting and pruning.

All three hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →) and are self-fertile.

Prune Damson

Prune Damson, also sold as Shropshire Damson, is a vigorous but neat-growing tree with larger fruit than Farleigh. It's a regular, good cropper that's picked in late August. It flowers late, in pollination group 5, so it should escape spring frosts, which makes it the choice for a colder garden.

Merryweather

Merryweather is a vigorous, spreading tree with relatively large, blue-black fruit. The fruit can be eaten fresh when fully ripe in late summer, though it's normally cooked, and the tree shows resistance to silver leaf.

Farleigh

Farleigh is a compact, reliably fruiting culinary damson growing to 2.5–4m depending on the rootstockThe root system and lower stem a fruit tree is grafted onto, chosen to control the tree's eventual size rather than for its own fruit. Full definition →, with small, very dark blue fruit. It's less susceptible to frost damage than many other cultivarsA plant variety that arose or was bred under cultivation and is kept true by deliberate propagation, rather than a naturally occurring wild species. Full definition →, which suits a small garden or a trained tree against a wall.

Damson or plum?

Damsons are close relatives of plums, but the fruit is smaller and less sweet, about 2.5cm across, blue-black or sometimes yellow. Raw, they taste slightly tart. Cooked, they have a rich flavour that makes them ideal for jam, and they're at their best left to ripen on the tree. If you want fruit to eat fresh, see the best plum varieties for Scotland.

Buying a damson tree

The variety is only half the choice. Damson trees are graftedJoining a chosen fruiting variety onto a separate rootstock, so the tree grows the fruit of one plant on the roots of another. Full definition → onto a rootstock, which sets how big the tree grows and can't be changed later, so choose it at the same time. There's no truly dwarfing rootstock for damsons, so even a small tree is a bush of around 3m. For the wall-trained tree a colder garden needs, a fan is the form to buy: damsons can be fan-trainedA fruit tree or bush trained flat with branches radiating out from a low point, the standard shape for wall-grown stone fruit. Full definition → against a wall or fence, but aren't suited to espaliers. Trees are sold ready-trained, partly trained or untrained, so a ready-trained fan saves the training work. The damson growing guide compares the rootstocks.

Bare-rootA plant, usually a fruit tree or hedging, sold with its roots exposed rather than in a pot, and only available while dormant. Full definition → trees are cheaper but only sold while dormant, from late autumn to early spring. Container-grown trees are available all year. Specialist fruit nurseries, usually by mail order, have the widest choice of varieties and can advise on rootstocks. The three here are self-fertile, but not every damson is, so check any other variety before you buy.

Which one for your situation

• A cold garden with late frosts: Prune Damson, on a sheltered site.
• Large fruit, and a tree that resists silver leaf: Merryweather.
• A small garden, or a tree trained on a wall: Farleigh.

Common questions

Sources