Opal plum trees
Prunus domestica
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- Picking season: Early Late July
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
- Flowering group: 3
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1995
Opal is probably the best-flavored early plum variety - indeed it is sometimes called a gage-like plum thanks to the excellence of its flavor. However the flavor depends crucially on developing sugars during the short growing period, and in northern gardens Opal really benefits from being grown in a sunny aspect. In less favourable situations it will still give good crops but with a less intense flavor.
The fruit is medium-sized, colored dusky red with a heavy bloom, becoming blue when overripe. The plums ripen over a period of about 1-2 weeks, so you don't have to deal with a glut. The flesh is straw-yellow and fairly juicy. Opal is a free-stone plum - the stone falls away easily from the flesh. If picked on a warm July day and placed in a fruit bowl Opal also has a wonderful aroma. This primarily a plum to eat fresh, but it is also useful for jams and fruit crumbles.
We recommend Opal because it is easy to grow in a variety of climates and provides good quality plums early in the season.
Opal 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 VVA-1 rootstock £62.00
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
PG22-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock £60.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
PG3Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock £63.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
BR12-year bush-trained bare-root tree VVA-1 rootstock £49.75
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR21-year bare-root tree Weiwa rootstock £43.75
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
BR31-year bare-root tree St. Julien rootstock £38.75
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
BR42-year bush-trained bare-root tree St. Julien rootstock £47.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
BR52-year half-standard bare-root tree St. Julien rootstock £51.00
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
BR61-year bare-root tree Brompton rootstock £41.25
Very large tree
(4m-7m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 25th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Opal is very easy to grow, and crops reliably, so it is a good choice for almost any situation. However to really develop its flavour potential there are two simple things to consider. Firstly, it re-pays planting in a good sunny aspect. Growing as a fan along a south-facing wall will get the best results.
Secondly, Opal has the potential to produce a heavy crop, and in a good spring it is likely that too much of the blossom will set fruit. This will lead to a very large crop of very small plums which will lack flavour. If this seems to be happening, thin the fruitlets towards the end of May so that there is one plum per cluster, with about 2" / 5cm or so between each plum. Thinning plums is a tedious business, but you won't regret it as the ones left will be bigger and with better flavour.
Opal is a very winter hardy tree and a good choice for all areas of the UK.
History
Opal was developed in Sweden in 1925 from a cross between Oullins Gage and Early Favourite.
Opal characteristics
- Gardening skillBeginner
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climates
- Picking seasonEarly
- CroppingHeavy
- Keeping (of fruit)1-3 days
- Food usesEating fresh
- Country of originSweden
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourRed
- AwardsRHS AGM (current)
Similar varieties
MeritareAn attractive new early-season dessert plum from Sweden, similar to Opal, with large fruits and good cold-hardiness.
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
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