Gage (Prunus) Old Greengage Half Standard

Old Greengage is the original Reine Claude, the classic gage that has been grown in English gardens for centuries and is still considered by many to be the finest-flavoured plum of all. White spring blossom, loved by bees, is followed in August by round, yellow-green fruits with juicy, melting amber flesh and the rich, honeyed sweetness that made gages famous. They are at their best eaten fresh from the tree, and they also make exquisite jams, tarts and bottled fruit. This is a tree for quality rather than quantity: the crops are modest, but every fruit is a real treat.

This half standard has a clear trunk of around 1.2m beneath a well-branched crown. It grows into a classic, freestanding orchard-style tree with room to mow or plant beneath, which suits lawns, larger gardens and small orchards. Old Greengage is only partly self-fertile, so it crops far better with another plum or gage nearby for cross-pollination. Denniston's Superb or Cambridge Gage both make ideal partners. Like all gages it loves warmth, so give it the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have. Plant in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, stake firmly for the first few years, and water well during dry spells while the tree establishes. Pick the fruit promptly as it ripens, because birds and wasps find it hard to resist. Prune only in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Hardy in most of the UK (RHS H5). The fruit is delicious, but the stones and leaves shouldn't be eaten, so keep those out of reach of children and pets.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.