Prunus insititia (Damson Plum)

Regarded as the ancestor of the plums we eat today, Prunus insititia (Damson Plum) is a deciduous tree with a low canopy clothed in elliptic, finely serrated, green leaves. In mid-spring, it bursts into a profusion of white 5-petaled blossoms, creating a spectacular display. They are followed by a bountiful crop of small to medium, oval, bluish purple, juicy plums. The fruit has a sharp taste, between bitter and sour, and is more suitable for jams and jellies than eating raw. Damson Plum is self-fertile, cold hardy, and grows well with little care. A relatively small tree that is perfect for the home garden. Good choice windbreak or hedging.

• Typically grows up to 12-15 ft. tall and wide (3-5 m) at maturity.
• Performs best in full sun in well-drained soils.
• This Plum tree will begin fruiting in 3 growing seasons.
• This plum tree has a chill hours requirement of 650 (hours of temperatures below 45ºF (7ºC) in the winter for their buds to open in the spring).
• No routine pruning is necessary. Remove diseased, damaged, congested, or crossing shoots.
• Propagate by seed, although softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat can be successful.
• Keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars, fruit tree red spider mites, brown scale, plum moth, and silver leaf.
• Native to C & S Europe N Africa