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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Avalon

Prunus domestica
Avalon plums
Avalon is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

Development of new plum varieties has lagged behind that of apples and cherries, but Avalon is an excellent example of how growers are starting to improve on the traditional English Victoria plum. The flavour for eating fresh is far superior to Victoria, and although Avalon's cropping is not quite as heavy as Victoria when the tree is young, once it reaches full size it is still a very respectable cropper.

The flesh is firm and sweet with some tanginess. The stone separates fairly cleanly from the flesh.

Unusually for a plum that is so good for eating fresh, Avalon is also an excellent culinary plum. Avalon plum jam has a deep blue/purple hue with a strong sweet flavour. The plums can be picked slightly underripe for use in puddings, when they are a pale red colour, or wait until they are darker red and fully ripe for eating fresh.

Avalon plum trees for sale

  • RF12-year bare-root tree on VVA-1 rootstock£49.75
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Will become a medium-sized bush-trained semi-dwarf fruit tree, will require permanent staking, but won't need much space
    Available next season
  • RF21-year bare-root tree on St. Julien rootstock£38.75
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large bush-trained tree or a half-standard tree, no staking required once estalished. Also suitable as a large fan-trained tree.
    Available next season
  • RF32-year bare-root tree on St. Julien rootstock£47.50
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Will become a large vase-shaped fruit tree, no staking required once established.
    Available next season
  • RF42-year half-standard bare-root tree on St. Julien rootstock£51.00
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large free-standing half-standard tree.
    Available next season

Growing and Training

Avalon produces a strong-growing tree, generally healthy and not requiring much attention. It is partially self-fertile but benefits from another compatible plum tree nearby.

Avalon flowers quite early, so make sure you are not planting in an area prone to late frosts.

Disease-resistance appears to be generally good.


Recommended pollinators for Avalon plum trees

Avalon is partially self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit. However you will get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Denniston's Superb
    Denniston's Superb
    Denniston's Superb is a gage-like green plum, raised in New York in the 19th century.
  • Pollinator Herman
    Herman
    Herman is one of the best quality early-season plum varieties, blue/purple with yellow flesh.
  • Pollinator Marjorie's Seedling
    Marjorie's Seedling
    Marjorie's Seedling is an easy to grow, late-season, heavy cropping purple/black plum.
  • Pollinator Opal
    Opal
    Opal is an early plum variety with a good flavour, self-fertile and very easy to grow.
  • Pollinator Rivers' Early Prolific
    Rivers' Early Prolific
    Early Prolific is a very heavy-cropping early-season plum, raised by the famous Rivers nursery.
  • Pollinator Victoria
    Victoria
    Victoria is the definitive English plum, attractive fruit, good for eating, outstanding flavour for cooking.

History

Avalon was developed at Long Ashton Research station near Bristol, and released in 1989. It is a seedling of Reeves, an old and well-regarded English plum variety. The same breeding programme also led to another useful plum variety called Excalibur which was released at the same time.


Avalon characteristics

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Partially self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Pick seasonMid - Mid-August
  • Picking periodmid-August
  • Keeping1 week
  • Food usesEating freshCulinary
  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1950 - 1999
  • Fruit colourPurple

You might also like these varieties

  • See also Marjorie's Seedling
    Marjorie's Seedling
    Marjorie's Seedling is an easy to grow, late-season, heavy cropping purple/black plum.
  • See also Opal
    Opal
    Opal is an early plum variety with a good flavour, self-fertile and very easy to grow.
  • See also Reeves
    Reeves
    A high-quality English dual-purpose plum, similar to Victoria but with an improved flavour for eating fresh.
  • See also Victoria
    Victoria
    Victoria is the definitive English plum, attractive fruit, good for eating, outstanding flavour for cooking.

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