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Peach

Prunus persica

Peaches are fast, short-lived trees that fruit within two or three years. Classic cultivars need 600–1,000 hours of winter chill, but the University of Florida has bred low-chill peaches that ripen in April and May, weeks before the Georgia crop. Most are self-fertile, so one tree is enough.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Prunus persica
Origin
China
Tree size
15–25 ft unpruned; kept at 8–12 ft with an open-center shape
Growth rate
Fast
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Well-drained sandy loam. In Florida, buy trees on nematode-resistant Flordaguard rootstock.
Soil pH
5.5–6.5
Pollination
Self-fertile; one tree is enough
Cold hardiness
Dormant trees take about -10°F; blossoms and young fruit are killed near 28°F, so late frosts are the main risk
USDA zones
5–8 for classic cultivars; low-chill types 8b–10a
Years to first fruit
2–3
Season
Apr–Aug
Water
About every 10 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 120 days, Mar–Jun
Pruning
Feb–Mar
Taste
Sweet, juicy and fragrant; yellow-fleshed peaches are tangier, white-fleshed ones sweeter and lower in acid
Nutrition
Vitamin C, potassium, and beta-carotene in yellow types

Is peach safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe flesh, raw or cooked, with or without the skin

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Take care: The kernel inside the pit contains amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed. The fruit is safe; never crack pits to eat or grind the kernels.
  • Good to know: Peach is a common fruit allergy, with reactions from an itchy mouth to, rarely, severe. Much of the allergen is in the skin, so peeling helps some people.

Pets: Flesh is fine for dogs in small amounts. The pit is a choking and gut-blockage hazard, and pits, leaves and stems contain cyanogenic compounds toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

How to eat and enjoy peach

  • Fresh, eaten over the sink
  • Peach cobbler and pie
  • Homemade peach ice cream
  • Preserves and canned peaches
  • Grilled, with honey or ice cream
  • Bellini (Italy)

When it's ripe

Pick when the green background color under the blush turns fully yellow or cream and the fruit gives slightly near the stem. Peaches soften after picking but don't get sweeter, so leave them on the tree as long as the birds and squirrels allow.

Storing it

Ripen firm fruit at room temperature, stem side down, then refrigerate ripe peaches for up to 5 days. Chilling unripe peaches makes them mealy.

Peach varieties (9)

  • Contender

    A very cold-hardy yellow freestone that blooms late, dodging many spring frosts.

    Origin: North Carolina, 1987 · Taste: Sweet, juicy · Season: Jul–Aug · Size: Medium to large

    Needs about 1,000 chill hours.

  • Elberta

    The classic Southern freestone peach, large and yellow with a red blush, famous for canning.

    Origin: Georgia, 1870s · Taste: Sweet, rich · Season: Jul–Aug · Size: Large

    Needs about 800–850 chill hours; too much for Florida.

  • Flordaglo

    A very low-chill UF peach with white, sweet, juicy flesh.

    Origin: Florida (UF) · Taste: Sweet, low acid · Season: Apr–May · Size: Medium

    About 150 chill hours.

  • Florida Prince · also Flordaprince

    One of the earliest and most widely planted low-chill peaches, with yellow, red-blushed fruit.

    Origin: Florida (UF), 1982 · Taste: Sweet-tart · Season: Apr–May · Size: Medium

    About 150 chill hours.

  • Redhaven · also Red Haven

    The most widely planted peach in North America: a reliable, early, red-skinned yellow freestone.

    Origin: Michigan, 1940 · Taste: Sweet, classic peach flavor · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Medium

    Needs about 800–950 chill hours.

  • Tropic Beauty · also Tropicbeauty

    A low-chill yellow peach bred for Central and South Florida.

    Origin: Florida (UF) · Taste: Sweet, mildly tangy · Season: Apr–May · Size: Medium

    About 150 chill hours.

  • Tropic Snow · also Tropicsnow

    A white-fleshed low-chill peach with sweet, low-acid fruit.

    Origin: Florida (UF) · Taste: Sweet, low acid · Season: Apr–May · Size: Medium

    About 200 chill hours.

  • UF Beauty · also UFBeauty

    A low-chill yellow peach with attractive red skin, bred for Central Florida.

    Origin: Florida (UF) · Taste: Sweet · Season: Apr–May · Size: Small to medium

    About 200 chill hours.

  • UF Sun · also UFSun

    A very low-chill UF yellow peach with firm, sweet fruit.

    Origin: Florida (UF) · Taste: Sweet · Season: Apr–May · Size: Medium

    About 100 chill hours; for Central and South Florida.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Phytophthora root rot

    Small, pale, wilting leaves, thin canopy and branch dieback; roots are black and brittle instead of white.

    What to do: Water less and improve drainage.

  • Caribbean fruit fly

    Ripe fruit with tiny puncture marks; maggots inside and soft, rotting spots.

    What to do: Pick fruit slightly early and ripen indoors.

  • Brown rot

    Soft brown spots on ripening fruit that spread fast and grow gray-tan spores; dried 'mummies' hang on the tree.

    What to do: Remove mummies and rotten fruit.

  • Root-knot nematodes

    Stunted, wilting trees in sandy soil; roots have knots and swellings.

    What to do: Thick organic mulch and compost help roots cope.

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

Growing peaches? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your peach needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.