Cambridge Gage plum trees
Prunus domestica - Picking season: Late
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
- Flowering group: 3
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1998
Cambridge Gage is a classic English green gage, with a high quality gage-like flavour. It is a close substitute for the traditional Old Green Gage, but easier to grow.
Cambridge Gage ripens towards the end of August, and is equally good as a fresh dessert plum or for culinary purposes.
Cambridge Gage plum trees for sale
Pot-grown
All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree VVA-1 rootstock£62.00
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
PG22-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock£60.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
PG3Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock£63.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
BR12-year bush-trained bare-root treeVVA-1 rootstock£49.75
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR21-year bare-root treeSt. Julien rootstock£38.75
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR32-year bush-trained bare-root treeSt. Julien rootstock£47.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR42-year half-standard bare-root treeSt. Julien rootstock£51.00
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR51-year bare-root treeBrompton rootstock£41.25
Very large tree
(4m-7m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 28th April.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Cambridge Gage is very similar to Old Green Gage in most respects but is generally found to be a more reliable cropper with consistent crops from year to year.
As with most green gages it prefers a dry climate and does best when planted in a sunny aspect.
Cambridge Gage is partially self-fertile (unlike Old Green Gage) but it helps if there is another pollinator nearby. Victoria is a good choice as it is typically in peak flower just a couple of days after Cambridge Gage.
Recommended pollinators for Cambridge Gage plum trees
Cambridge Gage is partially self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit.
However you will get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby.
If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us.
More pollinators >
Marjorie's SeedlingMarjorie's Seedling is an easy to grow, late-season, heavy cropping purple/black plum.
OpalOpal is an early plum variety with a good flavour, self-fertile and very easy to grow.
Mirabelle de NancyMirabelle de Nancy is the definitive traditional French Mirabelle, originating from north-east France.
JubileeJubilee is a new heavy-cropping dessert plum variety, similar to Victoria but larger and more reliable.
VictoriaVictoria is the definitive English plum, attractive fruit, good for eating, outstanding flavour for cooking.
CzarCzar is a traditional culinary plum, one of the easiest plums trees, will even fruit on north-facing walls.
History
Cambridge Gage is thought to be a seedling of Old Green Gage, and was grown commercially in the Cambridge area by the jam manufacturers Chivers in the early 20th century. It was probably discovered at the end of the 19th century.
Cambridge Gage characteristics
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilityPartially self-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climates
- Picking seasonLate
- CroppingGood
- Keeping (of fruit)1-3 days
- Food usesEating freshCulinary
- Disease resistanceAverage
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1850 - 1899
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourGreen - light
- AwardsRHS AGM (current)
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
Find out more
Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
Find out more.
More about plum trees
Eating plums, also known as dessert plums, offer some of the sweetest flavours possible in the temperate garden, rivaling the best of tropical fruits. We particularly rate Avalon, Oullins Gage, Cambridge Gage, Coe's Golden Drop, Old Green Gage, and Opal.
There are several things you can do, as the gardener, to enhance the flavours of these sweet fruits. Firstly, try to plant the tree in full sun - because it is sunlight that ripens the fruits and ensures the maximum sweetness. Secondly, thin the fruitlets in June. To be fair, thinning plum fruitlets is a tedious job, but it is well worth doing because most plum varieties set too many fruits, which leads to poorer fruit size and bland flavours. So if you think your tree has over-set, carefully prune off the developing fruitlets, and don't be surprised if you end up removing half of them or even more - the tree will reward you later on.
