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Originally Posted by Turloch  We have a range of prunus trees that were established in the Green Valley when we acquired the site in 1987 all originating before the land was abandoned in the late 19th century, totaling over 50 trees. There are 4 distinct types, all black, ranging from Damsons, ready this year in mid august, to plums and bullace ripe late august and spherical Micklemass plums [as they are known locally] which are not yet ready [ripening dates this year are very unusuall.] There is a clear taste distinction between the groups The bullace in the green valley are quite small and elongated, about 20% of the mass of the damsons but very different in shape from sloes. I have also been picking Langley Bullace from another of our farms today and these are far nearer to the size of a Damson. We consider that bullace forms a full continuum from Damson to Sloe [and there are also white bullace growing wild on the limestone hills a few hundred yards away]. The key distinguishing feature is not colour, size or shape but taste. Bullace has an element of the dryness of a sloe but not sufficient to make it unpaletable.
Bullace self propogates by sucker and pulling up and planting inconvenient suckers we have planted entire hedges. They are then slow to fruit taking often 10 years to produce. I have also seen bullace wild in hedgerows near Twyning near tewkesbury and believe they very widespread but often unnoticed |
hiya i havnt herd the word bullace since i was a kid,we all yoused to go wild fruit picking about this time of year,picking blackberrys,sloes,elderberry,and of course bullace,my dad would break his neck to reach the bullace,he made wine and jam from the fruit,those were the days.