Blue Violet damson trees
Prunus insititia Blue Violet is a traditional English damson from Cumbria.
It ripens a earlier than other damsons, and also has a sweeter flavour - unusually for a damson it can be eaten fresh as well as being versatile in the kitchen. The fruit size is also a bit larger than normal for damsons.
Blue Violet is also easy to pick, as the fruits fall from the tree in the wind or when shaken.
Blue Violet damson trees for sale
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root treeSt. Julien rootstock£41.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
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Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
For best fruit size and flavour you can thin the fruitlets after the blossom has finished.
The relatively large fruit size and sweet flesh of Blue Violet suggests there might be some plum ancestry in its background. It also has a less dense canopy than most other damsons and is therefore less suitable for use in fruiting hedges.
History
Blue Violet was found in the 1930s in the Lyth Valley, in the old county of Westmorland - the heart of English damson cultivation.
Blue Violet characteristics
- Gardening skillBeginner
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesMild damp climates
- Picking seasonEarly
- CroppingGood
- Keeping (of fruit)1 week
- Food usesCulinary
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourBlue - dark
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
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In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
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More about damson trees
Damsons are primarily grown for use in the kitchen - if you can find the space it is definitely worth having at least one damson tree in your fruit tree collection.
Damsons have a distinctive rich flavour, similar but quite different to plums. They are superb for making jams, jellies, crumbles, and pies.
Damsons trees belong to the species Prunus insititia, which also includes Bullaces, St. Juliens, and Mirabelles. Damsons originate from Damascus in Syria and the name comes from the term "Damascene plum". This might suggest they need a Mediterranean climate, but in fact damson trees grow very easily in cold climates or situations where other plum tree species might not flourish. In the UK the centre of commercial damson production is the Lyth valley in Cumbria, north-west England, notable for its wet climate. However, although they can succeed in areas where sunlight is not plentiful, damson trees do not grow well if they are shaded.
Damson trees are therefore a reliable source of fresh fruit in climates where other fruit trees may not succeed. They are also amongst the easiest of fruit trees to grow, needing no pruning once they are established - indeed pruning is not only unnecessary but undesirable with damsons.
For more information about damsons, see Daiv Sizer's guide to damsons (PDF). Pruning guide for damsons - Pots 2 Plots.
