Reine Claude Doree plum trees
Prunus domestica Reine Claude Doree is a traditional French gage, very similar to Old Green Gage. Indeed it is probably the ancestor of all the green gages, although when ripe Reine Claude Doree takes on an attractive green-golden hue which is only occasionally apparent in the English green gages.
The flavour is generally regarded as amongst the best of all plums and gages.
Reine Claude Doree plum trees for sale
Pot-grown
All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
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 St. Julien rootstock£62.00
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root treeSt. Julien rootstock£38.75
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
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Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Reine Claude Doree is generally easy to grow, particularly compared to other gages. It is quite a vigorous tree, with a somewhat vertical habit until fruiting starts (when the weight of fruit naturally pulls down the branches).
It is heavier-cropping than most gages, and can lapse into biennial bearing (fruiting in alternate years) if allowed to over-crop. Thinning of the fruitlets in June reduces this tendency, although thinning plum fruitlets by hand is a tedious job. However it also improves fruit size and quality.
History
The green and yellow-skinned gages are effectively a sub-species of European plums, named after Sir William Gage who imported a batch of these trees from France to England in the 18th century. In France they are known as Reine Claude plums, and there are numerous varieties, all closely related.
The origins of Reine Claude Doree are confused but it appears to be one of the oldest forms of French Green Gage, and possibly the ancestor of all modern green gages. It almost certainly pre-dates the spread of Green Gages into the English-speaking world.
It is known to have been grown in south-west France in the 18th century but is thought to be much older.
Reine Claude Doree characteristics
- Gardening skillExperienced
- Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Picking seasonLate
- CroppingHeavy
- Keeping (of fruit)1-3 days
- Food usesEating freshCulinary
- Disease resistanceAverage
- Country of originFrance
- Period of origin1750 - 1799
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourGreen
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.
Find out more.
More about plum trees
Eating plums, also known as dessert plums, offer some of the sweetest flavours possible in the temperate garden, rivaling the best of tropical fruits. We particularly rate Avalon, Oullins Gage, Cambridge Gage, Coe's Golden Drop, Old Green Gage, and Opal.
There are several things you can do, as the gardener, to enhance the flavours of these sweet fruits. Firstly, try to plant the tree in full sun - because it is sunlight that ripens the fruits and ensures the maximum sweetness. Secondly, thin the fruitlets in June. To be fair, thinning plum fruitlets is a tedious job, but it is well worth doing because most plum varieties set too many fruits, which leads to poorer fruit size and bland flavours. So if you think your tree has over-set, carefully prune off the developing fruitlets, and don't be surprised if you end up removing half of them or even more - the tree will reward you later on.
