Prunus insititia 'Merryweather Damson' (C) | damson 'Merryweather Damson'

Other common names

damson 'Merryweather'

Synonyms

Prunus domestica var. institia 'Merry Weather'
Prunus insititia 'Merryweather'
Prunus domestica 'Merryweather'

Fruit Edible

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'Merryweather Damson' is a vigorous, spreading tree with relatively large, blue-black fruits that can be used fresh when fully ripe in late summer, though are normally used for cooking. It is self-fertile and in pollination group 3

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 2.5-4 metres
Max Height: 2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name Status: Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Cherries suitable for culinary use have a tart flavour and are best cooked or made into a puree

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist, but well-drained soil in full sun. Keep a weed-free area of at least 60cm radius around trunk. Thin fruit if necessary. Irrigate in dry periods

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting on rootstock for fruit

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Wall side borders
Edible fruit

Pruning

Regular pruning required for pruning established fans, but pruning plums grown as bushes is not so intensive

Pests

Can suffer from damage by plum aphid, caterpillars, fruit tree red spider mite, brown scale and plum moth maggots

Diseases

May be susceptible to bacterial canker and brown rot; this cultivar show resistance to silver leaf