The Damson plum has a small, oval fruit, and is good for canning. The dark purple skin covers the golden yellow flesh. It has a spicy, tart flavour. Damsons are used for cooking, jam & wine making. A hardy, tree, largely untroubled by pests and diseases. Damsons succeed where most plums would fail. They are semi-shade tolerant and they grow to 12-14 ft. They make good windbreaks and hedges, though they are not likely to fruit well if they are very exposed. Damsons are mostly self-fertile and cross-pollinate with plums.