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So my neighbours have this fruiting tree, which is growing into my garden and it has a huge amount of fruit on it. It seems a waste to not use them if they're safe. I'm asking here what type of fruit are they and are they safe? The neighbours aren't exactly the most pleasant people to ask what the tree is, hence why asking here.

I've been doing some digging and I think they're greengages. I'm in Ireland in case that helps narrow down what can grow here in terms of fruiting plants.

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Thanks for the help!

Grinch91
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    Certainly looks like a greengage to me, lucky you... if you're not sure, cut one in half first, just to check it has the typical plum stone in the middle. Also a good way of checking if they're ripe - so if it smells and looks like a variety of plum, sample it after you've cut it open to check for ripeness. Because you don't know the variety, hard to tell if they're ripe, so they may not yet be fully ripened. – Bamboo Jul 23 '17 at 13:15
  • Cut it open, it definitely has a hard stone in the centre that I couldn't cut through. Smells sweet. Thanks for the advice, looks like it's some greengages. I also put the photo in the question of the fruit cut open too, for a more experienced persons feedback. – Grinch91 Jul 23 '17 at 13:22
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    For those not familiar with the term greengage as I was they "are a group of cultivars of the common European plum" – kevinskio Jul 23 '17 at 15:33
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    Pluck a few, peel/cut into mouth sized pieces, knock on neighbor's door and offer them some, if they eat it, voila!! _its edible_ **Bonus**: You've now made friends with your neighbors :) – Anand Rockzz Jul 23 '17 at 16:34
  • Just eat a bit, you'll know straightaway if its greengage - I reckon they should look a bit more yellowish when they're fully ripe though, at least, our greengages did – Bamboo Jul 23 '17 at 19:30
  • Greengage, never ever heard this name, plum it is...this is my something new today! – stormy Jul 23 '17 at 21:04
  • @stormy - didn't know you don't call them this - greengages are always green/green yellow and more rounded and are really juicy and sweet, as distinct from plums, which are yellow, red or purple, and more oval in shape, and not so sweet and juicy. I'd choose a greengage over a plum any day for eating fresh... sometimes just called gage for short. Dead lucky to have a tree with fruit hanging over his garden, this guy, wish it was hanging over my garden downstairs! – Bamboo Jul 23 '17 at 23:06
  • I had a yard full of Italian Prunes? Plums, oval in shape but my goodness, never ever did I taste a better plum. Totally considered a 'weed' fruit tree, very messy but forget any worries at all with insects or disease that I knew. Never until this day have I heard GAGE! So way cool! Lucky guy for sure. Hope he knows how to make jam or dehydrate or can...what a score! – stormy Jul 23 '17 at 23:28
  • @stormyHe'll eat them all as they are... but hey prune,over here, is not the same as plum, the names are not interchangeable - prune means dried and dark brown/black and wrinkled plum, plums are just ripe plums off the tree, maybe canned or fresh, but they're never called prunes. – Bamboo Jul 23 '17 at 23:36
  • Thanks for the help on this, and yes I know how to make jam, and yes jam making will be happening. Very lucky indeed – Grinch91 Jul 24 '17 at 09:06

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So to put Bamboo's and Kevinsky's information into an answer, bad me, you've got this European plum, also called Greengage; Prunus domestica Italica var. claudiana. Yummy plum/prune! Although I am not at all experienced with this fruit! I could be wrong on the variety!

stormy
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  • Loads of old varieties, see here https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/plum-trees/old-greengage - the one you've mentioned is grown primarily in mainland Europe rather than UK so its unlikely to be that one - some are better for cooking, though why you'd bother with those I really don't know, might as well just grow the usual plum instead – Bamboo Jul 23 '17 at 23:16