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Fruit EdibleTrees

Prunus insititia 'Blue Violet Damson' (C)

damson 'Blue Violet Damson'

A self-fertile, dual-purpose damson, producing white flowers in early spring, followed by a good crop of rounded, blue-black fruit with a white bloom, sharp at first but sweet when fully ripe, and ready to pick in late summer

Synonyms

Prunus domestica 'Blue Violet'

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Loam

Clay

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
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: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun in a sheltered position in moist, but well-drained soil, ideally with a pH of 6 to 6.5. Irrigate in dry periods. Fruit thinning may be required. See damson cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting. Trees grown from stones will not resemble the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Edible fruit
Wall side borders

Pruning

Regular pruning required according to tree form; see pruning plums or pruning established fans

Pests

May be susceptible to plum aphid, caterpillars, fruit tree red spider mite, brown scale, plum moth and damage by wasps and birds

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus

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