Damson
Damsons are relatively small plum-like fruit with a distinctive, slightly astringent taste, widely used for culinary purposes, particularly in fruit preserves, chutney, wine and damson Gin. The main characteristic of the fruit is its distinctive rich flavour, which unlike other plums is both high in sugars and highly astringent. Damsons are a subgroup of the plum - but they are hardier and more likely to succeed where a plum might fail.
The name damson comes from Middle English damascene and ultimately from the Latin (prunum) damascenum meaning 'plum of Damascus'. One frequently heard theory is that damsons were first cultivated in antiquity around the city of Damascus (the capital of modern-day Syria), and then introduced into England by the Romans. Remnants of damsons are sometimes found during archaeological digs of ancient Roman camps across England, and they have clearly been cultivated, and consumed for centuries. Damson stones have also been found in an excavation in Hungate, York, and dated to the late period of Anglo-Saxon England.
Top fruit trees are all supplied as bare root plants during the winter months (November - March).
For help with choosing the correct rootstock for your needs, please click here A Guide to Rootstocks