Greengage

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The Greengage is an edible drupaceous fruit, a cultivar of the plum, Prunus domestica 'Reine Claude'. It was developed in France from a green-fruited wild plum originally found in Asia Minor. It is identified by its small, oval shape, smooth-textured flesh, and ranging in colour from green to yellow, grown in temperate areas. They are known for their rich, confectionery flavour that cause them to be considered one of the finest dessert plums.

The name 'Reine Claude' is after the Queen-consort of King Francis I of France. "Green Gages" were imported into England from France in 1724 by Sir William Gage, 2nd Baronet of Hengrave, from whom they get their English name. Allegedly, the labels identifying the French plum trees were lost in transit to Gage's home in Bury St. Edmunds. Soon after, Greengages were cultivated in the American colonies, even taking a place on the plantations of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. However, their cultivation in North America has declined significantly since the Eighteenth Century.

Greengages breed more-or-less true from seed, and several similar cultivars produced from seedlings are now available; some of these include other plum cultivars in their parentage:

• 'Bryanston' (UK)
• 'Cambridge Gage' (UK)
• 'Denniston's Superb' (USA)
• 'Golden Transparent' (UK)
• 'Laxton's Gage' (UK)
• 'Laxton's Supreme' (UK)
• 'Ontario' (Canada)
• 'Reine Claude de Bavay' (Belgium)
• 'Transparent Gage' (France)
• 'Washington' (USA)