The Fruitful Forest Garden Nursery

Plums (Prunus Domestica)

Most of the plums that we are familiar with in the UK and Europe are European Plums (Prunus Domestica), which are hardier than their Japanese cousins (Prunus Salicina) and were first cultivated around 2000 years ago. These are the largest of the plum family, growing up to 7cm long, and have oval, sweet, juicy flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked. They are relatively hardy and unfussy about where they grow and are usually self fertile, meaning that you only need one plum tree to produce fruit. Plum trees flowers can range from white through pink to purple, and produce fruit in a range of colours, from yellow through to purples and blues. Plum fruits can ripen and be ready to harvest from July through to October, depending on the cultivar. Our favourites are Czar, Early Rivers, Edda, Herman, Jubilee, Marjories Seedling, Victoria and Yellow Pershore.

Greengages (Prunus Domestica)

Greengages are also Prunus Domestica but slightly smaller than plums. Their skins remain green even when ripe. Greengages have a similar tartness to gooseberries and rhubarb if eaten before they are fully ripe, but are deliciously sweet and succulent once ripened and, like plums, can be used in cooking for deserts and preserves. They do fare better in a sunny and sheltered spot and produce ripe fruit between August and October. We particularly like Earl Transparent, Ouillins Golden and Dennisons Superb (Imperial Gage).

Mirabelles (Prunus Institia)

There is some ambiguity over the latin name of this delicious cherry plum so I have chosen to go with the RHS nomenclature of Prunus Institia. The Mirabelle is a speciality plum from the Lorraine Region of France where 15,000tonnes of Mirabelles are grown every year, mainly for use in preserves, plum brandy, wine and eau de vie.

The fruits are slightly smaller than Prunus Domestica but very sweet and juicy when ripe. The trees are bushy and flower early in the season providing early forage for pollinators, before setting copious amounts of fruit from July-September. We have Gypsy, Countess and Golden Sphere in our forest garden and have been very impressed with the sheer volume and taste of the fruit, especially the Golden Sphere.

Damsons (Prunus Institia)

Damsons, or Damascenes, are the oldest of the plums, thought to be first discovered in Syria 10,000 years ago and brought to the West by the Romans. These egg shaped fruit are much smaller than plums, growing up to 3cm long and, being more acidic, are usually used for cooking and for making wine. The damson blossoms are always white, followed by blue-black fruits that ripen September-October. The damson trees are hardier than plums and greengages. Our favourites are Farleigh, Sweet Prune, Aylesbury Prune and local cultivar Longforgan.

Bullaces (Prunus Institia) and Sloes (Prunus Spinosa)

Bullaces (Prunus Institia) are a wild plum that are often found in hedgerows, although they will grow into a small tree if left unpruned. They are smaller than a damson but larger than sloes, with broader leaves and no spines. The fruits are known to be tart, but sweeten up after a few frosts when they are best harvested, usually October to November, and then cooked or made into wine. Whilst most wild bullaces have the typical damson blue colour, commercial cultivars, such as our favourite Shepherds Bullace, can be a range of colours.

Sloes (Prunus Spinosa), otherwise known commonly as Blackthorn, are wild fruit, similar to Bullaces but much smaller and also usually found in hedgerows. The shrubs have very sharp spines, hence the latin name “Spinosa” and the fruits are often highly sought after for making the foragers favourite sloe gin.

You can find our full range of plums, gages, damsons, Bullaces, Mirabelles and Sloes in our stocklist.