Stay or go? wild damson tree

Posts

• HeyHo! Posts: 113

  August 2023

  We have one wild damson tree the garden about 20-30 feet tall! It is an small to medium narrow garden, the tree is at the end.  It is pretty when it flowers in spring for a short while. As it is wild, will it spread throwing seedlings and cause problems?  We have removed a large Sycamore tree next to it and wondering - Should it stay or should it go?
  

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• nutcutlet Posts: 27,445

  August 2023

  If you eat the damsons there'll be no seedlings

  
  
  In the sticks near Peterborough

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• HeyHo! Posts: 113

  August 2023

  Strangely,  I have never seen damsons on the tree. Maybe they too tiny and too high up. I am sure it is the same as the trees growing along the embankments, near roadsides, etc.  Just wondering if it will spread?  We have had profuse of saplings from the Sycamore tree and not noticed the damson tree(behind the shed)

  
  

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• HeyHo! Posts: 113

  August 2023

  with limited space in the garden, it might spread like the Sycamore tree saplings and like the road verge. Or it might not? I love the tree but not sure if it will create problems being a wild damson. Sorry, it seems a silly question, but is bugging me!

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• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  August 2023

  It won’t seed anything like as much as a sycamore.
  It may throw up some suckers from the roots (especially if the tree is cut back hard) but these are usually pretty straightforward to cut/mow off. 

  If you love the tree I’d keep it. 😊 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• HeyHo! Posts: 113

  August 2023

  Thank you Dove, good to know it is not profuse like the sycamore. If it stays, the top of it will need to be chopped as that part leans heavily over the neighbours garden. It grew diagonally because of the sycamore tree.
  

  
  

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• bédé Posts: 3,095

  August 2023 edited August 2023

  If you want blossom and fruit it might be better to replace your tree with a superior variety.  Of course if you have a limited budget, that will limit you.  You might just like the thrill of something for nothing.  
  
  Keep your love for something more deserving.  Think Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
  
  AS well as seedlings, it might throw up suckers.

   location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
  "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

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• HeyHo! Posts: 113

  August 2023

  Thank you Bede. That is so nicely put, I had not looked at it that way .  Yes, I will put something more deserving rather than "rescuing" a tree for the sake of it! It is in the wrong place, looking at it. Now, to make new plans

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• fidgetbones Posts: 17,618

  August 2023

  I have a number of damsons self seeded. They have blossom, rarely get fruit.  When I eventually get to that bit , they're coming out.
  

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• djosmond41 Posts: 6

  August 2023

  HeyHo! said:

  We have one wild damson tree the garden about 20-30 feet tall! It is an small to medium narrow garden, the tree is at the end.  It is pretty when it flowers in spring for a short while. Beign wild, will it spread throwing seedlings and cause problems?  We have removed a large Sycamore tree next to it and wondering - Should it stay or should it go?
  

  We have a selection of old gnarly trees that I wanted to keep but my wife said they had to go so we had a tree surgeon in and he said there was nothing wrong with them so we had them pruned so I think that might invigorate yours it and reshape it, damsons are really nice, i spent weeks last year pulling out brambles but have planted ornamental ones this year so sometimes what you have works for you and sometimes it doesn't.

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