'Marjories Seedling' Plum Trees

• Variety: Marjorie's Seedling, the late, self-fertile cooking Plum
• Latin name: Prunus domestica 'Marjorie's Seedling'
• Use: Cooking and jam. Good fresh, if a little sharp
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden, bush and half-standard
• Rootstock: St Julien A
• Mature size: Kept at 3 to 4m. 4.5 to 5m if left unpruned
• Pollination: Group E. Self-fertile: one tree crops alone
• Picking: Late September to October
• Habit: Vigorous and upright. A reliable, heavy cropper
• Position: Sun or partial shade, sheltered
• Soil: Moist and well-drained
• Pruning: In summer only, never in winter
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H5, hardy through a cold winter
• RHS AGM: Yes (1993)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Marjorie's Seedling is a reliable, heavy-cropping Plum with large, juicy, blue-purple fruit from late September into October, best of all for jam, tarts and crumbles. It is self-fertile, holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and is a good partner for the Gages and Mirabelles that need one.

'Marjories Seedling' Plum Trees

Marjories Seedling plum trees produce large, juicy purplish-blue fruits that are good eaters if a little bit sharper than most sweet dessert plums. But they come into their own as cooking plums. With Czar being the possible exception, Marjories Seedling plums make the best plum jam, tart, crumble.

As it's a later cropper than Victoria, a Marjories Seedling plum tree is a better choice for areas that suffer from late spring frosts and it grows and crops well in the north of England. It's completely self-fertile and an excellent pollinator of those plum varieties that are less blessed. Generally ready to pick from late September. Of the plum trees we sell, this one seems to be the easiest to grow.

Please note that all our Marjorie's Seedling plum trees are on St Julien A rootstocks unless otherwise described.

Browse our range of plum trees or see the variety of fruit trees.

Planting Companions

Marjorie's Seedling needs no partner, and it is a useful one: it flowers in group E with Old Greengage and Mirabelle de Nancy, which are only partly self-fertile. For a longer season, add Victoria or Czar, which ripen earlier. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Plum Tree from Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Marjorie's Seedling Plum is grafted onto St Julien A rootstock, and maidens are pre-pruned before despatch for the form you choose. Bareroot trees are lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Marjorie's Seedling need a pollination partner?

No. It is self-fertile, so one tree crops on its own. It flowers in group E.

Which Plums will it pollinate?

It is the partner we name for Old Greengage and for Mirabelle de Nancy. Both flower in group E and are only partly self-fertile, so they crop better beside it.

How big does the tree grow?

On St Julien A rootstock, you can keep it at 3 to 4 metres with pruning. Left alone, it reaches 4.5 to 5 metres. Allow about 5 metres between trees.

When are the Plums ripe?

From late September into October, later than Victoria. They are a little sharper than most dessert Plums, and they come into their own in the kitchen.

When should you prune a Plum?

In summer, never in winter. Plums can take in silver leaf disease through winter cuts. A bush needs little pruning once its shape is made.

Is it a good Plum for a cold garden?

Yes. The RHS says it is less susceptible to frost damage than many Plums, and the old page has long recommended it for the north of England.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.