Prunus persica
- Phonetic Spelling
- PROO-nus per-SE-kah
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
A deciduous fruit tree with many cultivars that provide excellent fruit.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Subject to peach tree bores
Poison Part: Wilted leaves, twigs (stems), seeds
Poison Delivery Mode: Ingestion
Edibility: Fruit edible raw or cooked
Severity: HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!
Found in: Landscape and orchards as a cultivated fruit tree
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bonfire'
- 'Carolina Red'
- 'Corinthian Pink'
- 'Crimson Cascade'
- 'Flavortop'
- 'Kwanzan'
- 'Pink Cascade'
- 'Summer Beaut'
- 'Sunglo'
Large-sized, freestone, creamy white fruit
Produces large and high quality of fruit 'Contender'
Produces medium-sized, freestone, red fruit Corinthian hybrids
Beautiful ornamental flowering peaches with smooth gray bark
Produces medium to large sized, golden to yellow over red fruit
Nectarine, produces large-sized, freestone fruit. It features a red skin and yellow firm flesh
Produces medium-sized, dark red over yellow fruit.
Nectarine, featuring glossy red skin with firm yellow flesh 'Redhaven'
Produces medium-sized, dark red over yellow fruit; heavy bearer
Nectarine, attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds 'White Glory'
Nectarine, with arching, weeping branches 'Winblo'
Produces freestone, yellow flesh fruit with a very high quality - 'Bonfire'
- 'Bonfire', 'Carolina Belle', 'Carolina Red', 'China Pearl', 'Contender', Corinthian hybrids, 'Corinthian Pink', 'Cresthaven', 'Crimson Cascade', 'Fantasia', 'Flavortop', 'Kwanzan', 'Norman', 'Pink Cascade', 'Redgold', 'Redhaven', 'Summer Beaut', 'Sunglo', var. nucipersica, 'White Glory', 'Winblo'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bonfire'
- 'Carolina Red'
- 'Corinthian Pink'
- 'Crimson Cascade'
- 'Flavortop'
- 'Kwanzan'
- 'Pink Cascade'
- 'Summer Beaut'
- 'Sunglo'
Large-sized, freestone, creamy white fruit
Produces large and high quality of fruit 'Contender'
Produces medium-sized, freestone, red fruit Corinthian hybrids
Beautiful ornamental flowering peaches with smooth gray bark
Produces medium to large sized, golden to yellow over red fruit
Nectarine, produces large-sized, freestone fruit. It features a red skin and yellow firm flesh
Produces medium-sized, dark red over yellow fruit.
Nectarine, featuring glossy red skin with firm yellow flesh 'Redhaven'
Produces medium-sized, dark red over yellow fruit; heavy bearer
Nectarine, attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds 'White Glory'
Nectarine, with arching, weeping branches 'Winblo'
Produces freestone, yellow flesh fruit with a very high quality - 'Bonfire'
- 'Bonfire', 'Carolina Belle', 'Carolina Red', 'China Pearl', 'Contender', Corinthian hybrids, 'Corinthian Pink', 'Cresthaven', 'Crimson Cascade', 'Fantasia', 'Flavortop', 'Kwanzan', 'Norman', 'Pink Cascade', 'Redgold', 'Redhaven', 'Summer Beaut', 'Sunglo', var. nucipersica, 'White Glory', 'Winblo'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- persica
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Edibility:
- Fruit edible raw or cooked
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Open
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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-
Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Description:
- juicy fleshy fruit in summer dark maroon with a large, rough pit (stone). Fruit edible raw or cooked
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Flower Description:
- White, pink, red flowers juicy fleshy fruit in summer dark maroon with a large, rough pit (stone)
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 2 to 4 in. alternate, simple leaves, long-pointed, toothed on the margin, with 2 small glands at base of blade
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, panting, shock.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Stems
