Bullace (Prunus insititia)

Bullace (Prunus insititia)

Bullace (Prunus insititia) is a sort of wild plum, closely related to Blackthorn and to damsons; insititia is a subspecies of Prunus domestica. It's found in hedgerows in the wild, and adds variety to a wildlife hedge. Left unpruned, however, bullace will grow to be a small tree.

Confusion reigns as to the origins of the different types of wild bullace - Black, White and Shepherd's. They were well known to Tudor gardeners and the origin of the name points to very old origins. It's traceable from Old French to Middle English. 'Langley' (as photo) is a bit of a cheat; it's a cross between an Orleans plum and a Farleigh Damson . The Veitch nursery in Langley came up with it in 1902.

Bullace fruit fell out of culinary favour as it's not as large or as sweet as damson, so is usually cooked. They do fruit later, however, and so they're a useful resource for wildlife in a hedge. Like damson, though, they are tough as old boots, but don't like waterlogged soils. You can still find the occasional plant in hedges planted as windbreaks.

One of the Black bullaces we sell originates from Ryedale in Yorkshire.

Supplier : R.V. Roger Ltd.

All our bullace trees are bare root. At the height of the lifting season - between November and March - there may be up to a month’s delay between placing the order and dispatching due to pressure of orders, which are dealt with in date sequence, and the weather. Orders for bullace from March to September are confirmed in late October/ early November ready for dispatch from November. Please consult our planting and care guide on receipt of your order.

Have a look at our videos on what to do when your plants arrive and how to plant a bare root tree.