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Reine Claude Violette plum trees

Prunus domestica
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3

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.

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 £42.50
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree VVA-1 rootstock £21.95
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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Next deliveries

Order now for delivery end of February.

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

Problems

  • Disease resistanceAverage
  • Fruit splittingSome susceptibility

Climate

    Identification

    • Country of originFrance
    • Period of origin1750 - 1799
    • Fruit colourPurple - light
    • Fruit sizeAverage