Greengage Trees

When You Want A Plum With Proper Sweetness, Greengage Steps In With Honeyed Flavour And That Old-Fashioned, Dessert-Fruit Charm.

Honey-Sweet Fruit With A Proper Dessert Taste

Greengages are often described as the “connoisseur’s plum”, and once you’ve tasted a ripe one it’s easy to see why. The fruit is usually green to green-gold, sometimes with a soft blush, and the flavour is remarkably rich — sweet, aromatic, and almost honeyed when fully ripe. They’re wonderful eaten straight from the tree, but also superb for tarts, crumbles, bottling and jam, because the sweetness holds up beautifully. If you’ve only ever known supermarket plums, a home-grown greengage feels like a different fruit altogether.

Honey-Sweet Fruit With A Proper Dessert Taste
Blossom In Spring, Then A Calm Summer Canopy
A Traditional Fruit Tree That Suits Modern Gardens

Greengage Trees at a Glance:

Common name: Greengage (a sweet dessert plum).

Latin name: Prunus domestica subsp. italica (commonly sold simply as Prunus ‘Greengage’ types).

Size in UK gardens: Often 3–5m, depending on rootstock and pruning; can be kept smaller as a trained tree.

Best position: Full sun in a sheltered spot for best flowering and fruit ripening.

Soil: Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; avoid waterlogged winter ground.

Flowering time: Spring (often April), with fruit ripening late summer into early autumn.

Fragrance: Usually not noticeably scented.

Hardiness: Hardy in most UK gardens, though blossom can be vulnerable to late frosts.

Care level: Moderate – easy enough, but benefits from good siting, pruning, and a watchful eye for pests.

Sun & Shelter Advice for Greengage Trees:

☀️ Best light: Greengage trees fruit best in full sun. More sun means better ripening, sweeter flavour, and stronger growth that carries a good crop.

☀️ Shelter and walls: A sheltered spot makes a real difference, especially in Cambridgeshire and the wider East Anglia area where spring winds can be sharp. Near a fence, hedge, or warm wall, blossom is better protected and pollinating insects tend to linger.

☀️ What to avoid: Avoid deep shade, where fruit struggles to ripen, and very exposed positions that batter blossom and dry the soil. Cold, wet pockets where water sits in winter are also best avoided.

☀️ Where to plant: A sunny lawn edge, the back of a mixed border, or a warm boundary line works brilliantly. If you’re short on space, a trained fan or espalier against a wall can give you fruit without taking over the garden.

Soil Requirements for Greengage Trees:

🪏 Preferred soil type: Greengages like fertile, moisture-retentive soil that still drains well. Consistent moisture helps the fruit swell properly, but the roots don’t want to sit in winter wet.

🪏 Soil pH and health: They cope with neutral to slightly alkaline soils, and many do fine on typical East Anglian loams if the structure is good. Pale leaves or poor growth often point to dryness, lack of feeding, or compacted ground rather than anything mysterious.

🪏 Improving tricky spots: Heavy clay or very light soils both benefit from preparation.

• On clay, dig in well-rotted compost and a little grit to open the soil, and consider planting slightly raised so the root zone doesn’t stay cold and soggy.

• On thin, sandy or rubble-rich soils, add plenty of organic matter to hold moisture and nutrients, or grow greengage in a large container with a rich, free-draining compost mix if ground conditions are very poor.

Greengage Tree Hardiness:

🍃 General hardiness: Greengage trees are hardy in most UK gardens, and established trees cope well with typical winters, resting quietly until they flower in spring.

🍃 Cold and foliage damage: The tree itself handles cold well, but blossom can be damaged by late frosts, which may reduce the crop in some years. A sheltered position helps, and the tree will still grow and look good even if fruiting is lighter.

🍃 In cooler or exposed spots: A few simple steps help in tougher gardens.

• Choose a sheltered, sunny position to protect blossom and encourage pollination.

• Mulch around the base in autumn to support roots and steady moisture.

• If a frost is forecast during flowering, a fleece draped overnight on a small tree can sometimes save blossom.

Garden Uses for Greengage Trees:

Spring Blossom And Summer Fruit In One Tree: Greengage brings that lovely spring blossom moment, then turns useful as the fruit develops. It’s ornamental and productive, which is a rare and satisfying combination.

Perfect For A Sunny Lawn Edge Or Border Back: The shape is typically neat and rounded, making it easy to place as a small specimen tree without it feeling too dominating.

A Traditional Orchard Feel In A Modern Garden: Even one greengage can give a garden that “grown-up” feeling — blossom, shade, a bit of wildlife activity, and then a proper harvest later on.

Training Against Walls To Save Space: Greengage can be trained as a fan or espalier, which is ideal for smaller gardens. The warmth of a wall often improves ripening and makes harvesting easy.

Cooking, Preserving, And Eating Fresh: The fruit is genuinely versatile: fresh eating when perfectly ripe, but also excellent for tarts, jams, bottling, and freezing for winter puddings.

Wildlife Benefits of Greengage Trees:

🐝 Spring Blossom For Pollinators: The spring flowers are useful to bees and other early pollinators when the garden is just getting going. A sunny, sheltered spot helps insects visit more reliably.

🐦‍⬛ Garden Activity Around Fruit Time: As fruit ripens, birds and other wildlife may show interest, which is part of the lively feel fruit trees bring. Netting is sometimes needed if you want to keep the crop for yourself.

🕷 A Small Tree That Supports Garden Balance: The branches and leaf canopy create habitat for insects and helpful predators. Even modest trees contribute to the wider food web that keeps a garden ticking along.

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Greengage Tree Care at a Glance:

Planting time: As container-grown plants, greengage trees can be planted in most months when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged; spring and autumn are usually easiest.

Watering: Water well in the first 1–2 seasons and during dry spells, especially while fruit is swelling in summer.

Feeding: A spring mulch of compost or well-rotted manure is ideal; a balanced feed in spring can help on lighter soils.

Pruning: Prune to maintain shape and airflow; timing depends on training, but many gardeners prune plums in summer to reduce disease risk.

Winter: Fully hardy once established; focus on a mulch and good drainage rather than heavy protection.

How to Plant an Greengage Tree:

1. Prepare the hole: Dig a hole about twice as wide as the pot and just deep enough so the rootball sits at the same level as it was in the container, allowing space if you’re adding a stake.

2. Loosen the soil: Break up the base and sides of the hole so roots can move out into the surrounding soil rather than circling in a tight pocket.

3. Improve poor or heavy soil: Mix the excavated soil with well-rotted compost; add grit if drainage is slow. If your ground is very wet in winter, plant slightly raised to keep the crown out of cold, stagnant water.

4. Set the plant in place: Remove from the pot and tease out any tight roots. Set the tree upright, ensuring the rootball top is level with the soil surface, and face any best branches towards the space you want it to fill.

5. Backfill and firm: Backfill with your improved soil and firm gently so the tree feels stable, without compacting the ground too hard.

6. Support if required: A stake is often helpful for young fruit trees, especially in breezy sites. Tie in with a soft tie so the stem is supported but can still move slightly.

7. Water and mulch: Water thoroughly to settle the soil, then mulch around the base to hold moisture and feed the soil, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.

8. Aftercare in the first season: Check moisture regularly, especially in dry spells, and keep weeds down around the base so the tree isn’t competing for water and nutrients.

Watering & Feeding Greengage Trees:

💧 Establishing young plants: In the first season, water deeply whenever the soil begins to dry, particularly in warm, breezy weather. A steady start helps the tree root well and reduces stress.

💧 Once established: Mature trees cope well, but they crop best with consistent moisture. In long dry spells, a deep soak now and then helps fruit size and prevents premature drop.

💧 Deep vs light watering: Deep, occasional watering is far better than frequent light sprinkling. It encourages deeper roots and a more resilient tree.

💧 Feeding routine: Mulch in spring with compost or well-rotted manure, and use a balanced feed if growth is weak or soil is light. Healthy, steady growth supports good fruiting.

🪴 Plants in pots: Container-grown greengages need more regular watering and feeding, especially in summer. Use a large pot with excellent drainage, water whenever the top compost dries, and feed lightly in spring and early summer to support fruiting.

Pruning Advice for Greengage Trees:

✂️ Natural habit: Greengage trees tend to form a rounded canopy. The goal of pruning is to keep a pleasant shape and good airflow, rather than constantly cutting it back hard.

✂️ Best time to prune: Many gardeners prune plums and gages in summer, after fruiting, to reduce the risk of silver leaf disease. Light tidying can also be done after flowering, but avoid heavy winter pruning.

✂️ What to remove: Take out dead, damaged, or crossing branches, and thin crowded areas so light can reach fruiting wood. Remove any vigorous shoots that spoil the shape or shade the centre.

✂️ Keeping it young and tidy: Each year, a little gentle thinning keeps the tree productive and manageable. If it becomes congested, remove a few older branches over a couple of seasons rather than doing one drastic cut.

Winter Protection Tips for Greengage Trees:

❄️ Typical winters: Greengage trees are hardy, and established trees usually need no special protection in a normal Cambridgeshire-style winter. A mulch helps soil health and steadies moisture.

❄️ Colder or exposed spots: The main concern is spring frost on blossom rather than winter cold. Choose shelter, mulch the root area, and consider fleece protection on small trees if a hard frost is forecast during flowering.

🪴 Plants in pots:

• Move pots to a sheltered corner near the house in hard frosts.

• Wrap the pot to protect roots from repeated freezing and thawing.

• Check drainage so the pot never sits in cold, waterlogged compost.

Greengage Tree Pests & Diseases:

🌱 General health: Greengage trees are generally robust when grown in sun with decent airflow. Most issues are manageable and often linked to stress — drought, poor drainage, or crowded growth.

🪲 Common minor pests: Aphids can appear on soft new growth, and plum moth or wasp damage can affect fruit. Encouraging beneficial insects and removing fallen fruit helps, and small infestations can often be dealt with by washing off or pruning out affected tips.

🍂 Disease risks: Like other plums, greengages can be prone to fungal issues if conditions are damp and airless. Good pruning, sun, and avoiding waterlogged soil make a big difference.

🍂 Normal vs worrying changes: Some leaf yellowing late in the season is normal, and a light crop in a poor year isn’t unusual. More concerning signs include sticky honeydew with lots of sooty mould, repeated fruit drop when still small, or branches dying back.

🌱 Simple prevention: Plant in sun, mulch yearly, water in drought, and keep the canopy airy. Clear fallen fruit and leaves where practical, and avoid heavy winter pruning to keep the tree in good health.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer campestre

Acer campestre 'Elsrijk'

Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, as long as you give them sun and decent drainage. Greengages are generally hardy and will grow well in many UK gardens, including Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, but they’re at their best in a warm, sheltered spot where blossom is protected and fruit can ripen properly. They’re not demanding, but they do appreciate a spring mulch, watering in prolonged dry spells, and sensible pruning to keep the canopy open. If you can give them light and a little care, they’re a very rewarding fruit tree.

It depends on the variety. Some greengages are self-fertile, meaning one tree can crop on its own, while others do better with a pollination partner nearby. Even with self-fertile types, having another compatible plum or gage in the area can improve fruit set — and so can a sheltered position that encourages bees to visit during flowering. If you’re only planting one tree, choose a reliably self-fertile variety where possible, and place it somewhere sunny and protected.

Many greengage trees begin to crop within a few years of planting, especially if they’re on a suitable rootstock and are growing steadily rather than struggling. You’ll usually see blossom first, then a small crop that increases as the tree matures. Good sun and consistent moisture in summer help fruit develop properly, and keeping the tree healthy with mulch and pruning supports better harvests over time. Patience helps — but it’s not a decades-long wait, and the tree is attractive even before it fruits heavily.

Yes. The key is choosing a tree on a size-controlling rootstock and pruning with intention. Many greengages can be kept compact, and they can also be trained as a fan or espalier against a wall or fence, which is ideal where space is tight. Training also improves light and warmth, helping fruit ripen better in the UK. If you want the flavour of greengage but don’t have orchard space, a trained tree is a brilliant, practical solution.

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