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Hi all,
Could anyone please help me identify this plant/tree for me. I first thought it was a Sloe, but the tree it came from was far too tall and the berry is larger than what I think a Sloe should be, especially this time of year. I am under the impression it is either a Bullace or Damson, or are they the same thing? ??? Plus the berry is quite soft when squezzed.
Also near to the tree this fruit came from there is a similar tree with similar sized fruit but which are yellow, any ideas?. Will I be making Damson Jam or Bullace Liquer in the autumn?.

ARGGhhHH how do i put the pic on???

Hi

First you need to upload your pic to a web server somewhere, your isp probably gave you some free web sapce, check with them.

Next use the image button above to  insert the tags and put the webaddress of the picture between them

Check the internet section for more instructions

Hope this works!!

Either a damson or a small plum - more likely a plum from the shape.  The yellow fruited one is probably a greengage.

Yeah,

I would say it's less likely to be a plum. I think they have shaper more pointy leaves and slightly serrated too. The was one next door to us for years, I think we had a couple of jumpers, birds eating seeds and dropping into our garden.

The damsons I remember were darker, less perfectly round than shown in the photo...

good luck

Neil - same problem I'm currently having!  Have a look at the picture I posted a few days back, under the thread 'plums?'.  Do you think that they're the same?   Clearly not plums - people on the lottie have suggested sloes, but have also said that the colour and season is wrong for sloes!  I was cheeky in the end and emailed a picture to several nurseries and a damson society.  I've received conflicting advice but some useful pointers.  My fruit was still sour and hard a week ago so I've been told to leave it a few weeks and keep trying for softness - once soft, if not too tart, it's likely to be a damson.  Apparently the fruit may have come on earlier and be smaller this year (according to one of the fruit nurseries) because of the odd seasons we've had, plus not having pruned or fed for years (which mine hadn't) can result in very small fruit.  So, for me, it's a bit of a wait and see game for the next couple of weeks, but I hope that some of the ramblins above/ on the 'plum?' thread will be useful.

Oh, I have a yellowish, plum shaped but smaller fruit on site, that I'm informed is a greengage.

They look a bit like my damson, called Shropshire prune. They are going dusty purple, but are still quite hard.

these look just like the tree we get our fruit from to make 'sloe gin' from. ;D
we have no idea what they are, but with sugar and cheap gin, left untill xmas i can assure you that none tastes better!
wait untill they're just soft, not squishy (we know they're ready when a few start to drop) then GRAB ALL YOU CAN CARRY  ;D ;D
Tara xx

Looks like sloe to me. Either way, it makes good drinking. See below.

Whatever there is nothing to lose - make some sloe gin and they are not sloes, drink some damson gin  ;D

Thanks for all your help so far, I think I'll settle for the Damson theory!. I know they are not Sloe's as they are just a few minutes walk away from a group of HUGE Sloe bushes which I am patiently waiting to pick from! ;D. Im very lucky as  I have found Sloe's, Damson's, Crab Apples, Blackberries, and what I think are Greengages all within the same area, and lots and lots to pick!. Although as I discovered this evening anyone trying to be clever and stepping into the bushes to far to try and reach the big juicy berries and managing to disturb a wasp's nest, be careful or learn to run very fast!! :o :o

 ;D LOL Neil B. Worse here, neighbour has a wasp nest in the roof. Can't sit still for long in the garden and am now thinking of taking up badminton again, all that practice swatting the d**n things.

Oh great news nest was treated last night.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

was it a damson? i have a tree in new garden, really tall and thin with fruits like that on. Are they supposed to be soft when ready?

Definitely not a Sloe. They are smaller and usually perfectly spherical. They also have a lot more stone and a lot less flesh than a plum, damson or greengage. Also the stems are much darker and have really long spines, hence the name Blackthorn.  We have Damsons which are more pointed than these, but we also have 'wild' plums which are that sort of shape and colour. The trouble is that  if you have sloes and damsons and so on in an area and the bees get working and the fruit is eaten and dropped, you can get all sorts of crosses between them. We taste the fruit when it is ripe and decide then what use to make of it.

Looks just like my 20 carrier bag "Damson" on the bottom plot but the tree has been there so long it could be a self set cross... just enjoy!
8)

A lot of old trees are either self-setters which people raised or obscure local varieties which would be extremely hard to identify. Unless you're seriously interested, just enjoy the fuit!

I would offer that they are bullace - if ripe (and they should be nearly now) taste it and it will be very sharp or sour if it is a bullace - looks too round for a damson

how complicated is this plum family malarkey?  ::)

well as long as they won't kill me i'll give them a go!

They certainly won't do that!