Damson
Prunus domestica subsp. insititia
Small, tart blue plums for jam; tougher and more reliable than dessert plums.
Hardiness: zones 5 to 8
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 15 ft tall, 12 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: W. Asia and Europe
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Temperate Europe. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.
The story
Damsons came from Damascus with the Crusaders, or so the name claims, and became the plum of English and Welsh cottage gardens and Shropshire's Lyth Valley; the dark tart fruit made jam, cheese and gin, and dyed cloth. They crop where dessert plums fail.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, any drained soil; self-fertile and hardy. Plant bare-root in winter; a 15-foot tree, fine in a hedge.
Growing
Water young trees; prune only in summer, lightly, to avoid silver leaf. No feeding needed.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens blue-black in early autumn; too tart for most fresh, superb as jam, damson cheese, and gin. Shake the tree over a sheet.
What to watch for
Silver leaf if pruned in winter, plum moth, and heavy biennial crops.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home