‘PLUMS’ ‘GAGES’ ‘DAMSONS’ ‘MIRABELLE’
THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED SOON WITH A PROVISIONAL LIST OF VARIETIES GROWING FOR NEXT SEASON.
A BASIC LIST CAN BE FOUND ON ‘NEXT SEASON’ PAGE
Blaisdon Red – Blaisdon Red plum is believed to have arisen from seedling rootstock. Discovered by Mr Dowding of Blaisdon in Gloucestershire, UK and first recorded in 1892. It was once widely grown in Gloucestershire often from suckers on their own roots in traditional grassed orchards for jam making. Such trees are still widespread in parts of Gloucestershire.
Medium-large, long oval to egg-shaped fruit with a neck to the stem. Claret red to purple bloomy skin. Golden yellow flesh with clinging stone. Hard and acid when picked early for jam making. If allowed to fully ripen on the tree in late August until it starts to drop it becomes sweet and tasty and can be eaten as a dessert plum.
Trees are very vigorous, upright, dense, very heavy cropping and very disease resistant. Can be propagated from suckers and was at one time used as rootstock in its native Gloucestershire. Maidens.
Cambridge Gage – Reliable cropper, very similar to Old Green Gage (possibly a seedling) Yellow/green fruit, very sweet and juicy. Self-fertile. First grown 1927. Half Standard
Czar – A dark purple plum with a sweet yellow flesh. Good for cooking and fresh eating. Heavy cropper and always reliable. Self-fertile. Herts 19th C.
Early Transparent Gage – Early Transparent Gage was raised by Thomas Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire in 1866 from an open pollinated Transparent Gage. Awarded a First Class Certificate by the RHS in 1898 and adopted as a commercial variety in the UK. Medium sized, round-oblong fruit. Primrose yellow bloomy skin with red dots.Yellow juicy flesh. Stone free. Very sweet with an excellent gage flavour. One of the best dessert gages and also useful for jam making. Moderately vigorous upright tree. Good reliable cropper but fruit can be small if not thinned when heavy crops are produced.
Farleigh Damson – A small high quality damson that fruits regularly even in Northern districts. First grown in 1820’s. Ready mid September.
Jubilee – A modern plum variety similar to a Victoria but much larger fruit and slightly earlier season. Does not over-crop as Victoria often does.
Marjorie’s Seedling – One of the latest picking plums, producing large purple/black fruit, ready late September / October, often late enough to avoid the wasps.
Merryweather (Damson) – Large, plum sized purple/black fruit. Good for cooking or eating, ready late September, self-fertile. Nottingham, 1907.
Mirabelle de Nancy – Mirabelle de Nancy is believed to have come to France from the East in the 15th Century. The name dates back to the 18th Century. Widely grown and popular in France. Very small, round oval, bright yellow fruit. Free stone. Used mainly for jams and preserves. Good cropper but slow to come into cropping.
Old English Greengage (Gage) – Medium sized yellow- green juicy fruits, with a fine rich sweet flavour, derived from the middle ages, ready mid August.
Opal – Opal plum was raised at the Horticultural Research Station, Alnarp, Sweden in 1925 from a cross between Oullin’s Gage and Early Favourite.
Medium sized, oval-oblong fruit. Reddish purple flush over a yellow bloomy skin. Speckled with small white spots. Firm, pale gold flesh. Free stone. Good sweet flavour, similar to Victoria. Moderately vigorous, round-headed tree. Self-fertile and a heavy regular cropper. Maidens.
Oullins Gage – Oullins Gage was discovered as a chance seedling at Coligny, Ain, France and introduced by the French nurseryman Massot of Oullins near Lyon sometime before 1856. Medium large, round-oval fruit. Straw yellow skin with red dots and greyish bloom. Firm, clear, fairly dry yellow flesh. Vigorous, upright tree. Rather slow to come into bearing and only a moderate cropper. A good pollinator.
Rivers Early Prolific – Ready late July. Good dessert plum when fully ripe, heavy cropper. First grown circa 1820. Self-fertile.
Shit Smock – Very rare Gloucestershire plum. Possibly a true wild plum. Small, yellow fruit which are sweet with slight tartness. Used for both cooking, jams and fresh eating. Vigorous straightleads.
Shropshire Prune (Damson) – Small traditional damson, reliable intense flavoured fruit. Shropshire 17th Century. Ready mid September.
Victoria – Best known plum, heavy crops of pale red fruit, ready late August, self-fertile,19th Century. Maidens and Half Standard.
Yellow Pershore – A reliable cropper for dessert and bottling. Large yellow juicy fruit. Sweet and sharp flesh. Worcestershire 19th century.
Prices:
Bare Root Maidens (1 year) £18.00
Bare Root Bush/Half Standards (2 year) £24.00