Prunus domestica Reine Claude d'Althan - Common plum

The Organic Althan Reine Claude Plum Tree is an excellent old variety. The tree is vigorous and its production is abundant, fairly regular and of good quality. It produces large round, slightly flattened fruits, covered with a reddish-purple, even violet skin. Their thick yellow flesh is fine, juicy, and fragrant. The harvest takes place from mid-August to September. This variety originates from Hungary and was selected in 1860 by the gardener of Count d'Althan. It is not self-fertile and will be pollinated by the Golden Reine Claude plum tree.

Plant from Organic Agriculture.

The original area of plums is said to be Syria, not China. During the time of Roman hegemony over the region, various local fruits including plums were introduced to Rome.

This fruit tree naturally grows up to 6 metres (20 feet) tall when fully grown with an attractive free and slender silhouette. It requires little care and maintenance thanks to its hardiness and resistance to diseases. It prefers sun or partial shade and grows in any type of rich, moist, deep, even heavy soil, without limestone. Its leaves are oval, almost oblong, serrated-toothed and slightly hairy.
This variety flowers in April when the tree is completely covered with white flowers that appear on the previous year's branches. This plum tree is particularly good for pollination and will serve for all varieties of Golden Reine Claude and Reine-Claude d'Oullins.
The fruits are round and slightly flattened with reddish-purple, even violet, skin. Their thick yellow flesh is fine, juicy, and fragrant. These fruits are mainly consumed fresh, preserved, and in jams.

Plums are consumed raw at the foot of the tree, in fruit salads, or in desserts, pastries and as accompaniments to meat dishes. They are transformed into jams, syrup-soaked fruits, compotes... They can also be used to make eau-de-vie.

Designed for organic cultivation, this plum tree will thrive under certain conditions. To prevent diseases and pests, you will need to:
- choose a deep, light, rich, and well-draining soil,
- avoid planting on a site where other woody plants have been grown,
- prune to promote ventilation,
- thin out to prevent disease development on the fruits,
- add compost in limited quantities in autumn, depending on the richness of your soil, and plant grass around the base,
- plant multi-species hedges (except prunus) and place piles of stones and wood, and nest boxes (for birds, voles, and bats) to attract beneficial insects and animals.
In case of disease, remove and burn the affected parts. This variety may require treatments with Bordeaux mixture in case of prolonged humidity and the appearance of moniliasis.

For transportation reasons, our tallest scions may be pruned before shipping. They are suitable for all common training sizes: cordons, espaliers, bush trees, half-standards, and low standards, but not high standards. If you would like more information or advice on training your fruit trees, please do not hesitate to contact us.