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Reine Claude Violette plum trees

Prunus domestica
Reine Claude Violette is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3
A traditional French gage first recorded in the 18th century, noted for its excellent flavour. Also known as Purple Gage.

Reine Claude Violette plum trees for sale

Pot-grown

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 St. Julien rootstock £59.00
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree St. Julien rootstock £38.75
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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Next deliveries

Order now for delivery from week commencing 8th April where these items are showing as in stock.

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95. It is calculated when you add trees to your basket, based on your postcode.

Reine Claude Violette is an old French variety, probably dating back to the 18th century. It has the characteristic sweet rich flavour which is so sought-after by plum enthusiasts.

English fruit enthusiast Robert Hogg, writing in the 1880s rates it as "A dessert plum of the greatest excellence, and particularly richly flavoured if allowed to hang on until it shrivels". It is sometimes known as Purple Gage in the UK - whereas most gages are green or yellow, this one has a dusky purple colour when fully ripe.

This is a late-season plum, ripening in the UK in late August - early September.

How to grow

Reine Claude Violette is fairly easy to grow. It does best in warm dry climates, but is a bit less prone to fruit-splitting in spells of wet weather than some other plums and gages.

Although not well-known in the UK, this variety is still widely grown in France

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Reine Claude Violette is part of the Reine Claude group of plums, known in the UK as gages. These plums have a characteristic sweet almost melon-like flavour and are usually smaller than regular English plums.

Reine Claude Violette characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillExperienced
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group3
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates

Using

  • Picking seasonLate
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping (of fruit)1-3 days
  • Food usesEating freshCulinary

Problems

  • Disease resistanceAverage

Identification

  • Country of originFrance
  • Period of origin1750 - 1799
  • Blossom colourWhite
  • Fruit colourPurple - light