By Martynduncan
United Kingdom 
Hi, we have a small tree appeared in our garden. This year it is full of fruit. I thought it was a cherry tree six weeks ago but the fruit are now the size of a small plum they were green then yellow and a few are turning red. The tree has thorns on the branches and is approx 12 feet high. Any ideas what it is
28 Jul, 2011
Answers
Sounds like blackthorn to me. Does it have simple white blossom before many other trees are out? The fruits are horrible, but make sloe gin if placed in enough sugar and alcohol. Post a pic for a proper ID though, don't want to poison you!
28 Jul, 2011
I've never seen sloes turn yellow or red though - they normally go from green to black round here.. Do quinces have thorns?
28 Jul, 2011
Hi, again still can't load a photo. The fruits are not sloe. They are going to all be red in time. They are the size of a large cherry tomato, about 30mm and the tree has long thorns about 25 mm not sure about quince's because I have never seen one, can you eat those??
28 Jul, 2011
Martyn again looked at quince on a web site and it says they are usually greenish and pear shaped. These are red and just like huge cherries.
28 Jul, 2011
Ah, now there are some pics! The fruits look like plums.
28 Jul, 2011
I see them all over, a range of colours, red and purple, green, yellow. Damsons,greengages and plums is what we call them, they are all plums or plum like in taste and texture, rather than cherry or quince. I wonder if they interbreed as different tree's seem to produce many slightly different sized and coloured fruits.
They make really nice jam and compotes. And crumbles too!
29 Jul, 2011
Damsons and plums don't have thorns though, but your fruit do look rather like plums. Mystery. Could you cut one in half and see what sort of seeds/stone it has?
30 Jul, 2011
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28 Jul, 2011