greengage 'Reine-claude Vraie'
greengage Violet
This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
- Position: full sun
- Soil: will tolerate most soils, except very chalky or badly drained
- Rate of growth: slow growing
- Ultimate size on VVA1 rootstock: 3 x 3m (10x10ft)
- Flowering period: May
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Reliable, heavy cropping gage that has been commended by the RHS for having an excellent old-fashioned flavour and more reliable crops. Single, cup-shaped white flowers appear in late spring, followed by yellow-green fruit with a superb, juicy flavour, which are ready for picking in mid August. A good, vigorous grower that does set some fruit without a pollinator, as it is partially self-fertile, though like all greengages it can be pollinated by plums or damsons of the same or adjacent pollinating groups. This bush has been grafted onto VVA-1 rootstock, which produces a plant that is similar in size to those grafted onto 'Pixy' rootstock. They also tend to produce a higher yeild of larger fruit on plants that show a better winter hardiness. Greengages will generally start to produce fruit when they are 3 - 4 years old, so you may need to wait a year or two before you enjoy the harvest. - Garden care: When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker.