Bobba Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Can anyone identify this tree please? The blossom is as per photo. Its' branches have large thorns. It bears a stoned fruit which looks something like a small plumb, starting off yellow / orange in colour then darkening to a sort of victoria plumb colour (We have never been tempted to eat them!). The overall shape / size of the tree is not known as it has been extensively pruned and capped over the years. The trunk is about 45" in circumference. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrel73 Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Cherry plum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) Looks like Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn ) but it may be a cultivar of a cultivated plum. Blackthorn are just coming into flower now. Don't get a thorn in your hand as they are problematic if you do. Edited April 2, 2018 by JDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrel73 Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Agreed! Could certainly be a blackthorn. The ones I’m used to are usually more spindly than that one looks. The cherry plum trees can have spikes on them too but definitely not as nasty on the hands as the blackthorn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabelle_plum Is it one of these? We have them growing wild every where down here, the fruit is very edible and goes well in a jar of alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Blackthorn has sloes as fruits. There are also wild damsons and bullaces - which are related. All of the blackthorn/hawthorn/May tree and damson/plum trees are loosely related I think. I agree with JDog and my guess would also be that this is a blackthorn. The thorn pricks seem to be prone to infection and poor healing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 If it has thorns my thoughts are blackthorn! The blackthorn blossom is out here, on other fruit trees the peach buds are starting to open but the plumb trees are still in tight bud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Does the bark not look strange and too many flowers for blackthorn? But blackthorn would ba a favourite, Wot do the leaves lok like when they come? Be handy if it is a blackthorn for picking sloes for gin/vodka/whisky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClemFandango Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 It does look sort of like blackthorn but it's hard to tell from the picture. the blossom has five petals and those long stamen, the bark looks Blackthorney rather than Hawthorney. Can you get a close up photo of the bark on the trunk please? and a closer photo of the twiggy ends and the blossom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Bobba said: Can anyone identify this tree please? The blossom is as per photo. Its' branches have large thorns. It bears a stoned fruit which looks something like a small plumb, starting off yellow / orange in colour then darkening to a sort of victoria plumb colour (We have never been tempted to eat them!). The overall shape / size of the tree is not known as it has been extensively pruned and capped over the years. The trunk is about 45" in circumference. Thank you Does sound like Balckthorn except the colour of the fruits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Looks very similar to my wife's plum trees that are also currently in blossom. I'm afraid I only know them as plum tree's though ! sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 35 minutes ago, ClemFandango said: It does look sort of like blackthorn but it's hard to tell from the picture. the blossom has five petals and those long stamen, the bark looks Blackthorney rather than Hawthorney. Can you get a close up photo of the bark on the trunk please? and a closer photo of the twiggy ends and the blossom? Usually (well atleast up here by time hawthorn flowers come out the tree is well budded if not in full leaf. Must admit i never look at the flowers that closely I always think now's a great time of yesar to look for sloes/blackthorn as there pretty much the only tree flowering and have no leafs on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Not sure why there are so many suggestions for blackthorn, the fruit on the tree in question sounds nothing like a sloe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) Bullus or wild plum loads of types as it' down to pollination of the blossom ,so each one could be unique . That' is how cultivated varieties started, someone found a good one and reproduced it ,the plums will probably be very nice and perfectly safe to eat. Edited April 2, 2018 by muncher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Bird cherry or prunus paddus has no thorns at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted April 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) Thank you one and all for suggestions thus far. In response to Q's about photo of trunk etc attached are two more piccies. Other info is that the fruit when full size is about 3/4" - 1.0" diameter. The photo of the tree suggests that without the pruning and capping over the years it could have been a pretty large tree. Also included is a photo of the trunk. Thank you. The trunk Edited April 2, 2018 by Bobba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) https://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/trees/pruame01.htm ?? Edited April 2, 2018 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Wild plum tree. We have them on the river ground, the plums vary from a apricot yellow right through to a dark red. My biggest problem was catching them ripe before the horses found them. The yellow ones always tasted a bit blander than the redder ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Benthejockey said: Wild plum tree. We have them on the river ground, the plums vary from a apricot yellow right through to a dark red. My biggest problem was catching them ripe before the horses found them. The yellow ones always tasted a bit blander than the redder ones. Spot on my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Yes now I see the bigger picture it is obviously not a Blackthorn. It could still be a Mirabellum but is more likely to be a wild plum of some sort (there will be many). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Wild plum (Prunus Americana) apparantly have thorns! That would be my guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted April 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Thank you one and all. Q for CharlieT and Benthejockey please. Are the plums edible? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClemFandango Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 definitely not Blackthorn. I assume everyone else is right and it's wild plum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 4 hours ago, islandgun said: https://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/trees/pruame01.htm ?? It says their edible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondoggy Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) Cherry Plum, I have lots of them, all in flower. I eat them when they are yellow. The wood makes nice hand carved spoons as well. Edited April 2, 2018 by moondoggy Addition of text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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