Belle de Louvain

‘Belle de Louvain’ is an old Belgian variety renowned for the exceptional size of its fruit, its high fertility and its good adaptation to cooler regions.

The plum is large to exceptionally large, oval and elongated, often slightly flattened on one side. Its skin is initially dark red, turning purplish violet when fully ripe and becoming covered with a heavy bluish bloom.

The greenish-yellow flesh is fairly firm, tender and abundantly juicy. Its flavour is mild, sweet and slightly acidic, with a pleasant aroma when the fruit is harvested fully ripe. The plums can be eaten fresh, but this variety is particularly outstanding in tarts, compotes, jams and other cooked preparations, to which it adds an attractive colour and rich flavour.

Harvest generally takes place during the second half of August. The fruit holds fairly well on the tree but should be monitored as it ripens, since it can become highly susceptible to brown rot in damp weather.

The tree is very vigorous and upright and may take several years to begin cropping fully. It then becomes highly fertile and regularly produces abundant harvests. Its late blossom has good resistance to spring frosts, and the variety is particularly well suited to cold, damp or less sunny climates. Self-fertile and producing good-quality pollen, it can crop alone, although another plum flowering at a similar time may further improve fruit set.