Anna Späth

‘Anna Späth’ is an old late-ripening variety of Hungarian origin, introduced in the late 19th century by the renowned Berlin nurseryman Franz Späth.

The medium to large plum is oval, slightly narrowed towards the stalk and only faintly marked by the ventral suture. Its skin turns purple-red to dark violet when ripe and is covered with a heavy bluish bloom, sometimes with small dots or fine russet markings.

The greenish-yellow flesh is moderately firm, reasonably juicy and separates well from the stone. Its flavour is rich, exceptionally sweet and particularly aromatic when the fruit reaches full maturity. In cool or insufficiently sunny positions, however, its eating quality may remain more ordinary.

Harvest is late and generally takes place during the second half of September. The fruit is excellent for eating fresh and is also very well suited to tarts, compotes, jams, preserves and fruit brandies.

The tree has moderate vigour and forms a broad, open and fairly flexible crown. It prefers fertile soils and warm, sheltered positions, which allow this late variety to ripen fully. It is generally robust and shows good tolerance to plum pox virus.

‘Anna Späth’ is partially self-fertile and can crop alone, although another European plum flowering at the same time will generally improve fruit set and cropping regularity.