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Peach

Prunus persica

Durazno, Melocoton, Persian Plum

About This Plant

Deciduous (bare in winter) with flowers appearing in early spring, before the leaves. Peach makes a lovely small tree in south-central Texas, and as one of the first trees to bloom, it is well-pollinated by honeybees. Fruit production requires at least 500 chill hours (below 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter. Late-season frosts (below 25 degrees F) are rare but they can wipe out the crop. In optimal years, the fruit ripens between May and midsummer.

Origins: China

Maintenance

If you’re growing peach as an ornamental (for flowers) no pruning is necessary. But if you’re cultivating fruit, up to 40% of the branches can be removed every year. Prune before the end of February (while the branches are still bare) and remove suckers, shoots pointed toward the interior, and shoots above 7 feet high (where the fruit can’t be reached.)

Peaches' pink blossoms are one of the earliest signs of spring in central Texas.

Min. Height: 10

Max Height: 15 feet

Min. Width: 15

Max Width: 20 feet

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