31. Merryweather - Damson
Season : mid season. Flowers April, harvest September.
Pollination: Self fertile - Group C
Prunus insititia 'Merryweather'
one of the most widely-planted and hardy damsons
Merryweather is large by damson standards, and has the characteristic blue-black bloomy skin.
The fruit can be eaten fresh if left to hang on the tree, but damsons really come into their own for culinary use, where they have a distinctive rich flavour.
Merryweather is relatively sweet for a damson, but has true damson astringency.
It is a clingstone fruit - the stone is not easily parted from the flesh.
'Merryweather' is a popular 20th century cultivar, introduced by the firm of Henry Merryweather & Sons of Southwell, Nottinghamshire in 1907.
The tree's parentage is unknown; it has leaves well above the size of other damsons,and is thought to have at least some culinary plum ancestry.