How to grow damsons

Damson trees are easy to grow and they produce heavy crops of juicy, blue-black or yellow fruits in late summer, as well as pretty blossom in early spring. Ripe fruits are typically 2.5cm (1in) in diameter, with smooth, yellow-green flesh. They taste slightly tart when eaten raw, but when cooked have a rich flavour ideal for many culinary uses, particularly jams and preserves.

Damsons are smaller and less sweet than plums, but are ideal for making into jams

Fruit nurseries offer a range of damson varieties on different rootstocks

Damson varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) are recommended by our RHS fruit experts, as they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg (135kB pdf) and our Recommended Varieties below. If you visit any of the RHS gardens, you’ll find many fruit trees grown in various ways, so you can easily compare varieties and pick up useful growing tips.

The widely sold damson varieties are self-fertile, so you only need one tree, but do check before buying. Trees that aren’t self-fertile need a compatible ‘pollination partner’ (another damson that flowers at a similar time) nearby to ensure a good crop – see our guide to fruit pollination.

Damson trees sold commercially are grafted onto the roots (rootstock) of a different variety that controls the tree’s size and vigour. So as well as choosing a damson variety, you also need to choose a suitable rootstock, which depends on the size and style of tree you want:

•  ‘Pixy’ is semi-dwarfing, suitable for bushes and fans. Less vigorous varieties can be grown on it to produce cordons. Height when trained as a bush is 3-4m (10-12ft)
• ​ ‘VVA-1’ is a relatively new semi-dwarfing rootstock. Height when trained as a bush is about 3m (10ft)

• ‘St Julian A’ is semi-vigorous, suitable for half-standard, bush, pyramid and fan forms. Height when trained as a bush is 4.5–5m (15–16ft)
• ‘Wavit’ is semi-vigorous. Height when trained as a bush is 4–4.5m (13–15ft)

• ‘Brompton’ is vigorous, suitable for large free-standing trees over 4.5m (15ft) in height

Most fruit nurseries will be able to advise on suitable varieties and rootstocks for your needs, and if a pollination partner is required. See our guides below for more help choosing.

Damsons crop best in a warm, sheltered site in full sun. They flower in spring and although the trees are hardy, the delicate blossom can be damaged by frosts. So avoid planting in sites prone to heavy frosts or strong winds, which can damage the blossom and deter pollinators. In colder sites, it’s best to train damsons against a south-, south-west or west-facing wall or fence – see our tips on positioning fruit.

Damsons like fertile soil, ideally slightly acidic, with a pH of 6–6.5, although they can tolerate and crop well in a wider range of soils. They don’t like to dry out, especially when the fruit is forming, so generally prefer a loamy or clay soil, as long as it doesn’t get waterlogged.

The best time to plant is during the dormant season, usually between November and March. Bare-root trees are only available while dormant, but container-grown trees are available all year round – they can potentially be planted at any time, but will settle in best when planted from late autumn to early spring, and planting in hot, dry conditions should be avoided.

Prepare your tree for planting by giving it a good watering if it’s in a pot or by standing it in a bucket of water for half an hour if it’s a bare-root tree. If planting in a lawn, remove a circle of grass at least 1m (3¼ft) in diameter, so the tree’s roots don’t have to compete with the grass for water and nutrients as they get established. If your tree is going to be trained against a wall, plant it at least 25–35cm (10–14in) away from the wall. You’ll also need to attach horizontal wires to the wall to support the branches, this is best done before planting – see Pruning and Training, below. 

No soil preparation is generally needed before planting. However, if your soil is poor or you are planting near a wall, dig a bucketful of organic matter, such as garden compost, into the soil you remove from your planting hole and use this to backfill after planting. This minimises soil disturbance and helps your tree get off to a strong start. Damsons are easy to plant, although they may take a few years to get fully established and start fruiting. See our guides below for more information on tree planting and staking.

Once established, damson trees in the ground need little maintenance to produce a reliable crop. Newly planted trees and those growing in containers need some regular attention. Protect blossom from frosts if possible and thin out heavy crops to avoid branches breaking under the weight.

Just like plums, damson trees should be pruned annually to keep them in good shape, healthy and productive. Damsons fruit on a mixture of one- and two-year old wood and older shoots. Avoid pruning damsons during the dormant season or in mid- to late autumn, to minimise the risk of infection from silver leaf disease and bacterial canker.

• Young trees should be pruned in early spring, after the buds open
• Established trees should be pruned in summer 

Free-standing damson trees are best pruned as:  

• Bush trees – with a trunk about 75cm (2½ft) tall, then three or four branches radiating out from the top of the trunk to create an open-centred goblet shape 

• Pyramid trees – similar to bush trees, but with their central shoot (leader) intact, so they don’t have an open centre. The branches start lower down, 40–50cm (16–20in) from the ground, and get gradually shorter further up the tree, to create a pyramid shape

Damson trees can also be trained into more space-saving shapes, ideal for small gardens or if you want to grow several fruit trees. The best trained shapes for damsons are: 

• Fans – a short trunk topped with a flat fan of radiating branches, trained against a wall or fence. Prune twice a year, in early summer and straight after fruiting – see initial pruning of fans and pruning established fans 

• Cordons – a compact tree comprising a single stem with very short side-shoots, ideal for small spaces and pots. Support with a sturdy stake or horizontal wires. As there are no truly dwarfing rootstocks for damsons, this method is less successful than with apples, but it can work with less vigorous varieties on semi-dwarfing ‘Pixy’ or ‘VVA-1’ rootstock. See training plums as cordons

Trees can be bought ready-trained, partly trained or untrained, depending on how much work you want to do. Damsons aren’t suitable for training as espaliers. For more information, see our guide to pruning plums below (damsons are pruned in the same way as plums).

Damson trees are generally hardy, vigorous and fruitful, but poor harvests can be caused by the following:

• Frosts – where possible, cover or move trees to protect flowers from low temperatures, see Protecting from frost, above
• Spring storms and windy, cold conditions – unfavourable weather conditions in spring can damage blossom and deter pollinators. Plant in a sheltered position to reduce the risk
• ​Lack of water – insufficient water can cause young fruits to be shed. If growing a damson in a container or against a wall, check moisture levels regularly and water if needed. Mulching annually will help soil retain moisture. Avoid planting in shallow, poor soil
• Birds eating damsons – netting will protect fruit, either cover the whole tree (if small enough) or individual branches with plastic-free or reused netting. Ensure the netting is taut and fastened securely so birds and other wildlife don’t get entangled in it. In most cases, established trees usually produce such generous crops, that some can be shared with visiting birds