King Damson Trees

King Damson - Damson Trees

On the whole, damson plums are too acidic to be eaten fresh. Bradley's King Damson could indeed be the rightful King of the damsons; not only is the fruit large and bright purple, it is also a bit sweeter than other damsons and some brave people say they like it raw. For most of us King damsons are still at their best when made into jams and preserves or used in your favourite fruit pudding.

This is a heavily cropping damson tree - from September onwards that does well in Northern England and has more tolerance to damp soil than other varieties of damson.

Please remember that thinning damson plums shortly after the fruits have formed improves their flavour, ensures the tree's branches do not break under the weight later, and also means you will get consistent crops every year.

King damsons History and Parentage

Damson plums were once known as Damusk plums, from the ancient word for Damascus, in Syria. damsons were brought to England by the Romans some 2,000 years ago, both for eating and as an ingredient in their prized purple dye.

The credit for the Bradley's King damson goes - surprisingly - to Mr Bradley of Nottinghamshire, who brought this tree to market in the 1880's. However, no record of the parents has survived.

Damson Tree Pollination guide for Prunus domestica institia Bradley's King

King Damson - which produces white flowers in late April is reliably self-fertile and will do very well by itself. A pollination partner, while not necessary, can improve the quality of the fruit a little.

Damsons have been here for so long that they are quite hardy in the British climate. However, they are still essentially plum trees, like the same care and are prone to the same ailments. The main thing to remember is that they should only be pruned in summer.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery:
The basic delivery charge for all orders containing fruit trees of any size (bareroot or pot-grown) is £12.55 + VAT.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted fruit trees must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot fruit trees to gardeners and orchard owners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying fruit trees online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.