All plums are Prunux x domestica, a variable group of plants of hybrid parentage involving Prunus spinosa (native European blackthorn or Sloe) and Prunus cerasifera var. divaricata (cherry plum, myrobalan, native to eastern Europe and central Asia). Within this already variable group, three main subgroups are noted: P. domestica ssp. domestical (plum); P. domestica ssp. interstitia (damsons, bullaces, mirabelles); and P. domestica ssp. italica (greengages).
Given that these are all closely related and can cross-pollinate freely, there are bound to be countless intermediate forms. So precise classification of any kind of un-named plum-like fruit is never going to be exact.
Bullace is the common term for a wild plum, and seems be used interchangeably with damson. My own interpretation of the difference is based on the difference in eating qualities between both, rather than size, shape etc. The unique quality of a damson is in the high levels of both tannin and acidity in the skin/flesh which renders the fresh fruit virtually inedible, but valuable for jam and winemaking, where high acidity and tannin levels are actually desirable qualities. Bullaces have a fairly bitter skin, but slightly sweeter, less acidic flesh but not to the degree that you'd actually ever prefer them to a desert plum.
What I call 'damsons' are those fruits which nearer to sloes in size, shape and flavour; 'bullaces' the type which are rounder, with a higher ratio of flesh to stone, and less tannic astringency.
The wild plums that infest the borders of my own garden vigourous, spiny things, with round, serrated leaves and round blue/purple bloomed fruit (photo 2). My in-laws have a range of wild plums in their orchard in south Warwickshire; theirs are smaller in height and leaf size, more oval dark blue/purple fruits and leaves; are less spiny and are mouth puckeringly tart (photo 1). These are referred to as 'damsons' locally. I'm not sure the distinctions are really that important.
Other thoughts on the matter:
Keeper's Nursery describes Small Black Bullace as "Very small round fruit. Blue-black skin with a purple bloom. Firm juicy green flesh. Clinging stone. Acid favour. Recommended for jams."
In comparison, Shropshire Prune, ' a classic damson' : "Small, oval fruit. Blue-black with a dense bloom. Strong, rich, astringent damson flavour. Considered to be the best flavoured damson.
'Compact tree with dense twiggy branches. Fair and regular cropper but never producing very heavy crops like the Farleigh damson."
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9 comments:
As an American Bullis, I am intrigued by the Bullace.
I would like to know a bit more of their lore and what has been taken to America.
David Bullis
This being the time of year when I take a walk, or two or three, etc. over to where I used to live, where there is a deserted former smallholding that has become a sort of wild orchard in amongst the undergrowth, this ongoing subject of what exactly the fruit is that I'm picking has made its way to the forefront of my consciousness and you're right, Pomona, that naming the fruit is a far from straightforward process, with so many wild and semi-wild hybrids popping up.
However, I think you will find that what you refer to as 'Prunus domestica ssp. interstitia' should really read 'Prunus domestica ssp. insititia'. This is what it is called at the RHS Website and I'd be surprised if the RHS is mistaken!
As for me I think of the larger green/golden fruit as escaped domestic greengages, the smaller fruit of that colour as late-ripening mirabelles and the dark-skinned fruit that's half-way between damson and plum size, but more plum- than damson-shaped, as bullaces, but since many of those are actually larger than some of the 'greengages' maybe they're both a sort of bullace - one 'white' and the other 'black', even though most people's mental picture of a bullace is probably something dark.
There you see, I'm wavering again! ;-)
Finally, most of the fruit in the second of the photos at this post look like bullaces to me - I don't think they're all one variety, with some looking quite round and others looking on the oval side - but the ones on the tree may well be damsons, but I may be wrong since we're talking about the (literally?) wild world of the stone fruits!
I hope I've not messed with your head too much, Pomona!
Oh! One thing I perhaps should have mentioned is that, in our own (tame!) orchard just across the road we had a tree that yielded a damson-sized fruit, but one that was round in shape with a green rather than purple flesh, that my late mother called a 'damosene' - at least that's how I think it's spelt, since I can't remember ever seeing it written down! - that was considerably milder in flavour than a damson. Maybe that, too, could have been a bullace, in reality, since searching on 'damosene' has never brought up anything
Have you ever encountered a name like that, Pomona?
FYI, I live in Derbyshire in case 'damosene' is a dialect word unknown in Oxfordshire.
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