Plum experts?????....

[Nicos]

OK - so I am about to plant out the plum trees I bought a couple of weeks ago from Lidl.
One says it's a Victoria - and looks like a bald plum tree...

However , now I take a closer look at the other one ( it says it's an Opal Plum) looks just like the Victoria but with MASSIVE thorns 5-10cm long !!!)

I've googled away ( as one does) and can't seem to mention anything about spines/thorns on Opal Plum trees.
I did find a Governor Plum matching that description, but more of a bush shape which my 6 ft tree isn't.

I'm imagining it's been wrongly labelled- Is it still likely to be an Opal variety still- or what????

(bearing in mind that my brother's Stellar cherry instructions says it bears it's fircones in spring!!!!! - but that was from a garden centre!)

[scarey55]

Strangely enough,

We bought a Victoria plum tree? from our local supermarket here. I don't really know what a plum tree looks like so I just thought that the "thorns" are normal, yes - we have them on this tree too

Bearing in mind that Lidil is a Europe wide outlet and our tree was bought from a supermarket here - perhaps we both have a tree from a bad batch. Ours is labeled Prunus Domestica, Victoria though.

I'm going to plant it and hope for the best

[Snadger]

Blackthorn is part of the plum family and has big nasty thorns!

You may be ok for the raw ingedient of sloe gin next year!

[scarey55]

Ooh goody

[valmarg]

[QUOTE=Snadger;148190]Blackthorn is part of the plum family and has big nasty thorns!
As does damson. I find these cheap trees are not always 'true to label'.

valmarg

[Nicos]

Think it's going to be interesting finding out !!
Im just going to have to let it fruit next year now aren't I????

[scared55]

[QUOTE=valmarg;148216]

Blackthorn is part of the plum family and has big nasty thorns!
As does damson. I find these cheap trees are not always 'true to label'.

valmarg

Valmarg, I hope you are not suggesting that the latter-day barrow boys would lie to us ...

KK

[valmarg]

No scared, but caveat emptor applies with a lot of plants we buy.

I've had more disappointments with the ornamental part of the market, even from reputable dealers.

You pays your money and you takes your choice, even if the choice you made doesn't turn out to be the choice you wanted (I think).

valmarg