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 "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" 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'
- 'Dwarf Double Red'
- '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', 'Dwarf Double Red', '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'
- 'Dwarf Double Red'
- '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', 'Dwarf Double Red', '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
-
-
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
