Many Consider the Reine Claude, aka Greengage Plum, the absolute best tasting European plums where you can find it in all the outdoor markets. Good for fresh eating, canning and jamming. It is a full flavored, rich, juicy, firm plum with a perfect sweet/tart Balance. Reine Claude is considered a European Plum but has its ancestry in Persia, modern day Iran, where it was discovered as a wilding, initially tended by nature. They are nearly round green skinned plums, roughy 2.5 inches with sweet, yellow flesh that sticks to the pit. They prefer to grow near other European plum trees varieties for good pollination and which leads to a higher fruit yield. Considered finicky, however, with rich, good draining soil, hot summer days and adequate water you will have exquisite plums that have been enjoyed for hundreds of years. They can tolerate very cold temperatures including heavy snow. Thin out trees and make sure good sunlight gets to the fruit.

After being discovered in Iran, this beautiful and tasty Prunus domestica was imported into France where it was named after Reine Claude (Queen Claude), in honor of the French Queen, Duchess of Brittany (1499–1524). Also in France, the greengage is sometimes known as la bonne reine (French for "the good Queen"). Allegedly they were imported into England from France in 1724 by Sir William Gage from where they acquired the name Greengage. They then spread rapidly to Italy, the USA and the rest of the world.

This tree was discovered at 5,000 ft elevation near Loyalton, CA, which was settled in the late 1850’s mainly by Italian and Swiss immigrants traveling to California via covered wagons, drawn by oxen. Though their intention was to get to California and make their fortune, some of them stayed in the Sierra Valley and set up homesteads and ranches and established successful dairy businesses that supplied the gold miners in California with essentials such as milk, cheese, meat, eggs and hay. As you drive around the valley today, you will notice many streets names such as Roberti, Fillipini, Maddelena, Folchi - clearly of Italian origin. The descendants of these families still live in the valley today and own substantial ranches.