Pershore plum
A widely grown commercial plum, primarily used for baking, jam, canning and other culinary purposes. Sometimes known as Yellow Pershore or Yellow Egg.
The Pershore plum was the mainstay of the English plum industry in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire from the mid 19th century until the early 20th century. It is also popularly known as the Yellow Egg plum from its yellow colour, and because it is one of a group of plums which have a distinctive egg-like oval shape.
Pershore is in many ways the perfect commercial plum. It is a reliable and heavy cropper. The trees are compact in size, and the blossom has some frost resistance. The tree is resistant to the two main plum diseases, canker and silverleaf. The fruit can be picked un-ripe and stored for several weeks.
The one slight drawback for the amateur grower is that Pershore is really not a plum for eating fresh off the tree - the flesh appears to have little or no juice, and the flavour is merely acidic. However it is transformed by cooking into a golden yellow puree with a good plum flavour which is ideal for jam or pie fillings.
Pershore is complimented by another variety from the same area, Purple Pershore (and hence is often referred to as the Yellow Pershore). However although the shape and uses are similar there is some doubt as to whether these two varieties are actually related.
Summary
- Species: Prunus domestica
- Origin: Pershore in Worcestershire, United Kingdom
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 154700
Identification
- Fruit colour: Yellow
- Flesh colour: Yellow
- Fruit size: Medium
- Fruit shape: Long / oval
- Stone clinging?: Clinging
- Sub-group: Yellow egg
Using
- Good for cooking
- Cooking result: Puree
- Flavour quality: Good
- Ripening period: Mid-Late season
- Use / keeping: 2-3 weeks Can be picked un-ripe and stored
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Flowering period: Mid season
- Flowering group: 2
- Fertility: Self-fertile
- Vigour: Average growth
- Frost-resistant blossom
- General disease resistance: Good
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
Other qualities
- RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Disease resistance
- Bacterial canker Pseudomonas syringae - Some resistance
- Silverleaf Chondrostereum purpureum - Some resistance
Fruit tree register
Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details here and contribute to our international register of fruit trees.
The following Pershore trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.
You can also view these trees on a map.
United Kingdom
- Celia Cropper in MANCHESTER, LANCASHIRE
- Simon Lampitt in MALVERN, WORCESTERSHIRE
Latest Spring blossom records for this variety
2012 season
- 17th April 2012 - tree owned by Celia in MANCHESTER, United Kingdom
Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.
Latest harvest records for this variety
2012 season
Mature heights for Pershore trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Pershore tree taking into account the vigor of the variety, the rootstock, and soil conditions.
| Rootstock | Soil quality | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Very good | |
| Pixy | 5.6 ft 1.7 m |
7.0 ft 2.1 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
10.5 ft 3.2 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
| St.Julien | 7.0 ft 2.1 m |
8.8 ft 2.7 m |
10.5 ft 3.2 m |
13.1 ft 4.0 m |
15.8 ft 4.8 m |
| Brompton | 11.2 ft 3.4 m |
14.0 ft 4.3 m |
16.8 ft 5.2 m |
21.0 ft 6.4 m |
25.2 ft 7.7 m |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Plum, gage, damson trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Pershore plum trees for sale:
-
Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (UK)
United Kingdom Supplier's website >>
Where to buy plums to eat
No orchards have registered as growing this variety. If you grow this and want to register please go to our Orchard Registration form.
Rate this variety for flavor