Damson (Prunus) Farleigh Half Standard

Farleigh is a traditional English damson from Kent and one of the most dependable fruit trees you can grow. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. In spring it's covered in white blossom that bees love, and in September it produces heavy crops of small, blue-black damsons with a rich, tart flavour that's perfect for jams, jellies, crumbles, chutneys and homemade damson gin. The fruits may be small, but the crop is so generous that a single tree gives you plenty to share.

This half standard has a clear trunk of around 1.2m beneath a well-branched crown. It grows into a classic freestanding orchard-style tree of around 4m, with room to mow or plant beneath, which suits lawns, larger gardens and small orchards. Farleigh is self-fertile, so it will crop on its own, although another plum, gage or damson nearby for cross-pollination will boost the harvest. It's very hardy and copes well with cooler, more exposed spots. Its blossom is less prone to frost damage than many plums, and it shows good resistance to silver leaf. Plant in full sun in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, stake firmly for the first few years, and prune only in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf. Fully hardy (RHS H6). The fruit is delicious cooked, but the stones and leaves shouldn't be eaten, so keep those out of reach of children and pets.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.