Plum Tree - Victoria

Plum Tree - Victoria

By the First World War it was "well nigh impossible to get any other plum", according to garden writer John Weathers. The Victoria plum tree owed its popularity to its very heavy cropping - sometimes boughs break under the weight of fruit - and excellent flavour as a culinary plum. Its fruit tastes pretty good straight off the tree too, and it seems to grow well in all regions across the UK.

The plums, a deep carmine rose, are delicious when cooked. As well as a dessert they make the very best jams, and in Victorian Britain, jam was very much the thing, particularly among the poor. They're best for use in the kitchen rather than eaten fresh.

For such a popular variety their origin is remarkably obscure. Although they're said to come from Alderton in Sussex, no such village has ever existed. Maybe it was Walderton? Or maybe found by an Alderton? Or maybe came from Alderton in Suffolk? The first Victoria plum tree might be much older than the date of its first documentation in 1837, the year of the Queen's coronation. They were formally introduced by a nurseryman called Denyer, who then made a fortune exporting them to Sweden.

One of the best loved of all fruit trees, no orchard or garden is complete without a Victoria (arguably!). They still outsell any other plum tree by miles. The trees are easily identified, with their stiff upright habit. This can be a problem for them; they are known to be particularly susceptible to silverleaf, and their brittle branches often break, leaving them more exposed to disease. They're quite fast growing, making a medium-sized and spreading tree.

Although Victoria plums are self fertile to a degree (unusually for plums), yields are likely to be improved by planting with an appropriate pollinator. Awarded the RHS AGM in 1993.

Supplier: R.V. Roger Ltd.

These maiden plants are small but will establish quickly and require no staking. Myrobalan B is the most vigorous rootstock we use for plums and will give a tree up to 6m tall, whereas St Julien A will produce a tree up to around 4m. We use this as our default rootstock.

All our plum trees are bare root, so they are only available between November and April. During lifting season, there will be a delay between placing the order and dispatching due to pressure of orders, which are dealt with in date sequence, and the weather. Orders taken from June-October will be confirmed in late October/ early November after a nursery stock take, for dispatch from November. Please consult our planting and care guide on receipt of your order.

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Have a look at our videos on what to do when your plants arrive and how to plant a bare root tree.