Plum trees

If you are new to growing fruit trees, plum trees make an excellent choice. Plum trees are easy to grow - usually easier than apples and pears - and require very little training or pruning. The only horticultural challenge is that plums flower quite early in spring, so locations that are prone to frosts are best avoided (or choose a late-flowering or frost-resistant variety). They thrive in most conditions, but they prefer water-retentive soils, and mulching is therefore particularly important for plum trees - farmyard manure is ideal.

Unlike most apples and pears, many plum varietes are self-fertile or partially self-fertile and do not need a pollination partner. For plum varieties that are not self-fertile, another plum tree of a different variety flowering at the same time is usually all that is necessary to ensure good pollination and heavy crops - there are few of the pollination incompatibilities found with apples, pears and cherries.

Plums are also more nutrient-rich than apples or pears, and comparable to some other "superfoods" such as blueberries. Although plum trees do suffer from a range of diseases, they seem to catch them less often than other fruit varieties. Most important of all, the flavour of ripe home-grown plums is vastly superior to shop-bought fruit. Indeed in our opinion freshly-picked dessert plums can offer the most exquisite sweet flavours of any fruit available from the temperate garden.

We offer mostly 'European' plum trees - from the species Prunus domestica. European plums have a much better and more interesting range of flavours than the 'Japanese' plums usually found in supermarkets. Most garden plum trees in Northern Europe are of this species, and they are well suited to temperate climates, being hardier than the Japanese varieties and flowering later. Whilst European plums do not store particularly well, the fruit usually ripens over a 1-2 week period, during which time the tree can be picked daily to ensure a steady supply of fruit.

• Castleton plum trees

  
  

  In stock

  A reliable early-season dual-purpose plum.

  • Picking seasonEarly
  • Gardening skillSuitable for beginners
  • Self-fertilityPartially self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Count Althan's Gage plum trees

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  Also known as Reine Claude Conducta, a true gage but with a richer and more plum-like flavor than other gages.

  • Picking seasonLate
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group4

• European Damson plum trees

  

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  A European-style Damson plum, with a traditional rich astringent flavor.

  • Picking seasonMid
  • Gardening skillSuitable for beginners
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Geneva MirabelleTM plum trees

  
  

  In stock

  An American mirabelle, similar in style to the traditional French mirabelles.

  • Picking seasonMid
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Old Green Gage plum trees

  

  In stock

  The definitive gage - Old Green Gage is arguably the best-flavoured of any plum variety.

  • Picking seasonLate
  • Gardening skillSome needed
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Opal plum trees

  

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  Opal is an early plum variety with a good flavor, self-fertile and very easy to grow.

  • Picking seasonEarly
  • Gardening skillSuitable for beginners
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Oullins Gage plum trees

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  In stock

  The flavor of a true gage yet also easy to grow, Oullins Golden Gage is a good first gage tree.

  • Picking seasonMid
  • Gardening skillSuitable for beginners
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Pollination group4

• Reine Claude Boddaerts plum trees

  
  

  Sold-out

  A 19th century European Green Gage, with a dry sweet flesh making it useful for cooking as well as eating fresh.

  • Picking seasonMid
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Reine Claude de Bavay plum trees

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  A traditional European green gage, with the classic gage flavor.

  • Picking seasonLate
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Valor plum trees

  

  In stock

  Valor is a large dual-purpose purple plum from Canada, ripening late in the season.

  • Picking seasonVery late
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3

• Victory plum trees

  

  In stock

  A very late ripening prune-style plum, and one of the largest-fruited of all plums.

  • Picking seasonLate
  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group4

• Vision plum trees

  

  In stock

  A large very late season dark blue plum with a good flavor for eating fresh or cooking.

  • Picking seasonVery late
  • Gardening skillSuitable for beginners
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group4