Leaves

Commonly they are oval with a short point at the top or teardrop shaped, on short downy stalks. There are small teeth around the margins of the leaves and it is smooth on top. Some leaves will be downy underneath.

Flowers

White flowers appear in clusters of 2-3 at the same time as the leaves. Similar to blackthorn, with longer, wider petals.

Seeds

Large and oval.

Stem

Fruit

Spherical, dark-blue to purple and up to 4 cm in diameter.

Taste

Somewhat sour but sweeter when cooked or after a frost.

Frequency & law

Fairly rare nowadays but not restricted

The nuanced bit

Often confused with damsons and other wild plums, the bullace has a less pronounced (sometimes not visible) crease and tends to be more round than the oval damson.

Possible confusion

Damsons, sloes, other wild plums – all edible though.

Habitat

Thickets, hedges and open woods. Native to S. W. Asia. Naturalised and often considered a native of Britain.

How to harvest

Harvest the fruit in late Autumn, early winter. Can be frozen for later use – indeed, freezing improves the flavour.

Cooking tips

Raw or cooked. More acid than a plum but it is very acceptable raw when fully ripe, especially after a frost (if you’re very lucky!). Can be used to make wine or to flavour gin/vodka.

Other uses

Grey-green dyes can be obtained from the leaves and the fruit.

Folklore

The name probably originates from the Middle English bolas, itself from the Old French beloce, meaning “sloe”. Wild plums were formerly called “bullies” in parts of Lincolnshire. Similar to the Middle English bolas, bwlas was used in the Welsh language.