Opal is probably the best-flavoured early plum variety – indeed it is sometimes called a gage-like plum thanks to the excellence of its flavour. It demonstrates that crossing a gage with plum can improve the gage-like flavour.

The fruit is medium-sized, coloured dusky red with a heavy bloom, becoming blue when overripe. The fruit is at its best just before the colour changes to blue. The plums ripen over a period of about 1-2 weeks, so you don’t have to deal with a glut. The flesh is straw-yellow and fairly juicy. Opal is a free-stone plum – the stone falls away easily from the flesh. If picked on a warm July day and placed in a fruit bowl Opal also has a wonderful aroma.