Reine Claude Violette plum trees

• Check 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

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