Oullins Golden Gage Trees

• Variety: Oullins Golden Gage, a large, yellow dessert Gage
• Latin name: Prunus domestica 'Oullins Gage'
• Use: Eating fresh, bottling and freezing
• 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 D. Self-fertile, and a better cropper with a partner
• Picking: Mid August
• Cropping: Regular and reliable
• Position: Full sun, 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

Oullins Golden Gage is a large, yellow Gage with dense, sweet flesh, ripe in mid August and as good bottled or frozen as it is fresh. It is self-fertile and a regular, reliable cropper, it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and it is a useful partner for other Gages.

Oullins Golden Gage Trees

An Oullins Golden Gage is a large, yellow fruit with dense, quite transparent flesh and the refined, fruity sweetness that you would expect from a Gage. They're a bit less juicy than other gages and plums, which makes them well suited for storage in the freezer or for bottling. The tree itself has a vigorous rate of growth and although it's not a champion cropper, it's regular from one year to the next and the quality and versatility of the fruit mean that it's still an excellent tree for the garden fruit connoisseur.

Browse our range of plum and greengage trees or the full variety of fruit trees.

History & Trivia

The original tree was discovered by chance during the 1850's in Coligny, near Lyons, so there is no record of its parents. The first man to sell the tree commercially was Monsieur Massot, who decided to name it after his home town of Oullins. Gages are known as Reine Claudes in France, in honour of Queen Claude. She had been a controversial figure in her time and could have split France apart, had she married into the Holy Roman Empire. Perhaps it was out of gratitude for her change of heart, voluntary or otherwise, that these delicious fruit were named after her. The Opal plum tree was created from the Oullins Gage.

Plum Tree Pollination guide for Oullins Golden Gage

The Oullins Gage is considered to be self-fertile and will definitely bear you a healthy crop when planted alone. However, it's widely accepted that self-fertile plants tend to give better crops when they're cross-pollinated. This is rarely a clear cut issue, as nature doesn't always follow human classifications. A pollination partner such as Czar will have a noticeable positive effect of the size and quality of the harvest. It's also the perfect pollination partner for Old Greengage and Cambridge Gage both of which "need a bit of help"

Gage trees come from warmer climates than ours and require a sensitive touch to give them a head start on British soil. They should only be pruned in summer to avoid silver leaf disease.

Please note that all our Oullins Golden Gage trees are on St Julien A rootstocks unless otherwise described.

Planting Companions

Oullins crops alone, and does better with company. The partner our fruit reference names is Victoria, and the old page recommends Czar. In turn, Oullins is a good partner for Old Greengage and Cambridge Gage, which are only partly self-fertile. Our Plum pollination chart shows every group. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Gage Tree from Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Oullins Golden Gage 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 Oullins Golden Gage need a pollination partner?

No. The RHS describes it as a reliably fruiting, self-fertile Gage, so one tree crops alone. It flowers in group D, and a partner such as Victoria or Czar improves the crop.

Which Gages will it pollinate?

Old Greengage, in group E, and Cambridge Gage, in group D. Both are only partly self-fertile and crop better with Oullins nearby.

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 Gages ripe?

In mid August. The fruit is large and yellow-green to gold, and a little less juicy than most Gages, which is why it bottles and freezes so well.

When should you prune a Gage?

In summer, never in winter. Plums and Gages can take in silver leaf disease through winter cuts.

Does it hold an RHS award?

Yes. It has held the Award of Garden Merit since 1993, under the name Oullins Gage.

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.