Damson trees
Damsons trees belong to the species Prunus insititia, which also includes Bullaces, St. Juliens, and Mirabelles. Damson trees 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.
Damsons are primarily grown for culinary purposes - they have a distinctive rich flavour, similar but quite different to plums, and are superb for jams, jellies, crumbles, and pies. If you can find the space it is definitely worth having at least one damson tree in your fruit tree collection, and if you live in an area with a wet maritime climate damson trees are a reliable source of fresh fruit where other fruit trees may not succeed.
(USA soon)