Growing the Messina Peach

Size and Appearance

The Messina Peach is a vigorous deciduous tree that will, within 10 years or so, but 12 to 15 feet tall and wide. Of course you will have done some pruning in that time. The leaves are abundant and they are long and narrow – about 6 inches long and 1½ inches wide, dark-green and with a semi-glossy upper surface. They turn yellow in fall.

In spring your Messina Peach will turn into a wonderful flowering tree, with a profusion of small but bright flowers that open like fragrant red bowls on the bare branches, ¾ of an inch across. When the petals fall these turn into tiny fruits, and this self-fertile tree needs no second tree to create a full crop – it does it all by itself, so it’s ideal for smaller gardens. Following this April flowering, the fruit develops over spring and early summer, and will begin to ripen in the middle of August. Fruits ripen progressively over 2 weeks, giving you plenty of time to pick them, and allowing you to pick ‘n eat at exactly the moment of perfect ripeness.

The fruits are very large, slightly elongated globes, measuring 3 inches across and weighing as much as 8 ounces – that’s right, 2 peaches can weigh a pound. The stone is small, so the peach is almost all flesh, and that delicious, fiber-free melting flesh is yellow-orange and heavily flushed with healthy antioxidant red pigments. Yellow and heavily stained orange-red when ripe, the skin is relatively smooth, with a short coating of ‘fuzz’, making this a great peach to eat out of hand. Enjoy the delicious sweetness and well-balanced acidity of this variety, which is highly-rated for its eating qualities.

Using the Messina Peach in Your Garden

So lovely is the spring blooming, and so handsome a tree full of fruit, that there is no reason not to grow the Messina Peach as a lawn tree. In zones 4 and 5 it is best to place it in a sheltered, south-facing spot, and growing it against a wall of your home as an espalier is a great option, and ensures good ripening. In a larger garden you can of course grow it in an area dedicated to fruit trees – a home orchard.

Hardiness

The peach tree is hardy from zone 4 to zone 8, and it has been bred and selected to grow and crop well in the northeast. Since this peach was developed in zone 6, we don’t know it’s exact chilling hour requirement (time below 45 degrees but above 32), but we can assume it is perhaps 1,000 hours, keeping this variety to the cooler parts of zone 8 as a southern limit.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow your Messina Peach in full sun – this is important for ripening. Peaches need well-drained soil, and enjoy sandy soils that are not too dry. If you have heavier clay soil, amend it with large amounts of organic material, and don’t plant in a low-lying spot. It is relatively drought resistant, but fruit quality will be low if the soil is too dry in summer.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Messina Peach tree is resistant to some important diseases, including bacterial leaf spot and certain kinds of cankers. Pests can be controlled organically, with Neem Oil and lime-sulfur sprays. Don’t think that your tree is going to need constant spraying – it is vigorous and healthy, and will grow well with some basic care. An isolated garden tree is less likely to suffer pests and diseases than trees grouped in orchards.

Pruning should begin while your tree is young. Aim for a short central trunk and about 5 radiating branches, creating a vase-shaped tree. Remove branches from the center so that the sun can penetrate and shorten back longer side-stems in spring or immediately after harvest. Don’t prune in winter or during wet weather, as this can spread disease. Once your tree has a crop of small fruits, remove all but one from each cluster, and keep them about 6 inches apart overall. This is the way to produce high-quality, large fruit, and not a heavy crop of small, poor fruit that is mostly stone.

History and Origin of the Messina Peach

The peach tree, Prunus persica, originated in China, but since those ancient times it has been highly bred and developed to give us the kind of fruit we enjoy today. There are several centers of peach breeding in America, and for the northeast the most important is the Fruit and Ornamental Research Extension Center of Rutgers University, New Jersey, which dates back to 1907. There, Professor Joe Goffreda worked with his lab technician, Anna Voordeckers, (who worked at the Center for 50 years) developed several new varieties – each takes 15 to 20 years from inception to release. The variety ‘NJ 352’ began with a cross between seedlings they had developed earlier, and was first identified as valuable early this century. In 2007 they received a patent on it, for the benefit of the University. It has been released under the trademark name of Messina, a brand name also owned by the University.

Buying the Messina Peach at the Tree Center

If you live in the northeast – and you probably do if you have read this far – then choosing the right variety for your climate is vital. Don’t waste precious years growing an unsuitable choice, make the wise choice and go with the Messina Peach. You won’t regret it. But order now, our limited stock will soon be gone, as demand for this type of peach is very high.

Growing the Summer Prince Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The Summer Prince Peach tree is a vigorous and reliable peach tree that will soon be 12 to 15 feet tall and wide, when pruned correctly. The slender leaves are around 6 inches long, and a little more than an inch wide, with a dark-green, slightly glossy surface. One of the great things about growing a peach tree is that you get a fabulous ornamental flowering tree too. The large pink blossoms, which are often over 2 inches across, rival any flowering tree, and they open in April, decorating the bare branches. This variety is completely self-fertile, so even if it is the only peach tree around, as soon as those petals fall you will see the tiny fruit developing. You will be amazed at how quickly the fruits swell and grow, and by the end of June they will be pretty much full size. Then it’s just a couple of weeks waiting for that yellow skin to turn deep red – and it’s harvest time, with the fruit ripening through the middle of July.

The medium-sized fruits are 2 or perhaps 3 inches across, if you have thinned them (see the ‘Maintenance’ section) with 80 to 90% of the skin colored a beautiful deep red. The flesh inside is a very tempting bright yellow, firm enough to bite into, but meltingly good, with virtually none of those annoying fibers inferior peaches have. The flavor is a balance between sweet and acid, delicious for eating out of hand or turning into pies and preserves. It is completely freestone – cut one in half and the stone just falls right out.

Using the Summer Prince Peach Tree in Your Garden

You don’t need a dedicated area for fruit trees with the Summer Prince Peach Tree, because the beautiful spring blossoms make it perfect as a lawn specimen. In cooler zones it can be grown, and will give the best crop, against a sunny wall as an espalier, or tucked into the sheltered angle of two walls. Of course, you can also grow it in a home orchard, with your other fruit trees.

Hardiness

The Summer Prince Peach Tree is hardy from zone 5 to zone 8, needing 850 chilling hours (temperatures above freezing but below 45 degrees). This means it’s a great choice for the southeast, and other areas where winters are mild and summer hot and humid, but not in very southern areas along the Gulf. Of course, longer periods of chill do no harm, so it will grow well in cooler zones too, and in zone 9 where winters are cold, such as the northwest.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant your Summer Prince Peach tree in full sun, as this is needed to give good ripening and plenty of natural sugar in the fruit. The best soil is light and well-drained. If you have clay soil, avoid any low-lying areas and plant on a mound, adding lots of organic material to the soil.

Maintenance and Pruning

Bred for some resistance to disease, the Summer Prince Peach tree is relatively healthy, although all peaches can suffer from some pests and diseases. Today there are good organic methods of pest control available – we recommend Neem oil spray for insects, and lime-sulfur winter sprays for disease control.

Start pruning your tree when it is young. Aim for a short trunk with about 5 radiating branches spaced out evenly around the trunk. A broad, vase-shaped tree is best, and keep the center open and free of branches to allow the sun to shine through and ripen the fruit. Thinning is important for good-sized peaches, so when they are no larger than a quarter, remove all but one from each cluster, and if necessary remove a few entirely, so that they are spaced out along the branches about 6 inches apart.

History and Origin of the Summer Prince Peach Tree

The peach tree, Prunus persica, came to America from Europe, where it had in turn been to from China, via the Silk Road. When a peach grower sees the word, ‘prince’ in the name of a variety they know it is the work of Dr. Dick Okie. He spent 25 years, from 1980, breeding peaches at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Georgia. His predecessor, who founded the lab, was Victor Prince, and Okie chose to use ‘prince’ in his varieties to honor him, and also because, as he said, Prince is just a great name for any peach. The variety he called Summer Prince was created around 2000, and never patented.

Buying the Summer Prince Peach Tree at the Tree Center

Peaches and summer go together, and when you plant the Summer Prince Peach you can look forward to soon spending July enjoying your very own summer peaches. The fabulous slip-stone variety will be a yearly highlight, and all of Dick Okie’s trees are held in high regard. Order now, because top-quality varieties like this one never stay on our farm for long.

Growing the Flavorich Peach

Size and Appearance

The Flavorich Peach is a deciduous tree that within 10 years, with suitable pruning, will be 12 to 15 feet tall and wide. It is a vigorous grower, and will soon be bearing its first crop. The leaves are long and narrow, about 6 inches long and just over 1 inch wide, dark green and slightly glossy. Flower buds open on the bare branches at the very beginning of March, or a little later in cooler zones. The flowers are large and showy – at least 2 inches across, forming a beautiful pink cup of petals. The flowers are self-pollinating, and after the petals fall you will see a tiny green fruit developing. By the middle of May in warm zones, and by early June in colder ones, the first fruits will be ripe and ready to eat. Ripe fruit lasts up to 5 days on the tree, allowing you to spread the harvest a bit, and if you store them in the fridge they will last about 2 weeks – if you still have any left by then!

The fruit is clingstone (almost all early peaches are), with light yellow flesh that is firm when ripe, but juicy and delicious. It is large, about 3 inches in diameter if properly grown, round to slightly elongated and sometimes with a small point. The flesh is often stained with red from healthy antioxidants, adding to its value. The flavor is the perfect balance between sweet and acidic, and ideal for both eating fresh, baking and for preserves. All this glory is wrapped in a slightly fuzzy skin that is yellow, but covered when ripe with a continuous deep red blush. This is a fruit just begging to be bitten into and enjoyed.

Using the Flavorich Peach in Your Garden

Peach trees are beautiful in bloom, and the large pink flowers of this variety are very showy. Plant it on a lawn as a specimen, or in a larger garden you could have a dedicated area for fruit trees. In colder zones it could also be grown as an espalier on a wall – especially useful in areas with cooler summers, such as the northwest.

Hardiness

This tree is hardy from zone 5 to zone 8, and it also grows in zone 9 areas that have cool winters. It needs about 700 chilling hours (when temperatures are below 45oF), which means it can be grown as far south as Texas and Georgia, except for areas along the Gulf of Mexico.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Like all peaches, the Flavorich Peach should be grown in full sun, and planted in lighter soils that are well-drained. If you have heavier clay soil, plant on a mound and add plenty of organic material like compost or rotted manures to the planting soil. Although established trees can take some dryness, fruit will suffer if it is too dry.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests or diseases that might attack the Flavorich Peach tree are similar to those attacking all peach trees. Today it is possible to control these problems with organic methods like neem oil, and isolated garden trees are less likely to have problems that trees in orchards.

It is important to reduce the crop of small fruits, to give you good sized, quality peaches. This can feel hard to do, but it is usually necessary. When the young fruits are about the size of a quarter, remove all but one from each cluster. If you have a heavy crop, you might also need to space the remaining fruits out a little – leave several inches between each one. This way every fruit will be large, juicy and delicious.

Begin developing the form of your tree while it is still young. The goal is an open, vase-shaped tree that lets the sun in to ripen the peaches well. Keep a short central trunk and allow about 5 radiating branches, evenly spaced around the tree. Remove or shorten shoots in the center, and shorten long new shoots to encourage spurs. The best time for pruning is right after the harvest, but you can also prune in early spring, before flowering. Don’t prune in winter – it allows diseases to spread.

History and Origin of the Flavorich Peach

The peach tree, Prunus persica, is often shown in classic Chinese art, because it once was only found on the hills of northwestern China. In ancient times it traveled along the Silk Road to southern Europe, and eventually from there to America, with the first settlers. Thomas Jefferson planted peach trees in the gardens at Monticello.

Floyd Zaiger was a prominent fruit breeder in Modesto, California. With his sons he ran Zaiger’s Genetics, and produced many new varieties, using meticulous and often complex breeding systems. To create the variety he named ‘Rich May’, he began with the nectarines ‘May Grand’ and ‘Tasty Gold’, and the peaches ‘Sam Houston’ and ‘May Crest’, creating several generations of experimental seedlings. He picked the first fruits from ‘Rich May’ in 1988, and it received a patent in 1991 (PP# 7,432), which expired in 2011. At some point the name Flavorich became attached to this variety, but ‘Rich May’ is still it’s official name.

Buying the Flavorich Peach at the Tree Center

That first peach of the season is a truly precious thing, and the earlier the better, right? When you grow the Flavorich Peach, you get a truly early peach that is packed with flavor and delicious to both look at and to eat. Order now, as top-quality varieties like this one are always in high demand, and our supply is very limited.

Growing the Country Sweet Peach

Size and Appearance

The Country Sweet Peach is a medium-sized tree that will grow to 12 or 15 feet tall and wide, after the necessary pruning, within about 10 years. This tree develops a sturdy trunk, and should be pruned to create about 5 spreading branches radiating from a low trunk. The long, slender leaves are glossy, green and large, between 6 and 7 inches long and about 1½ inches wide. Flowering takes place in the first half of March, and the attractive and showy flowers are large – almost 2 ½ inches across, with 5 broad, pink petals. They form mostly on short side shoots, before the leaves emerge. A tree in bloom is very attractive.

If properly cared for you can expect a big crop of large round to oval fruits, 3 inches in diameter and weighing up to 4 ounces each. The flesh is juicy but firm, with a fine texture, and very sweet with low acidity to create a wonderful tang. The flesh almost falls away from the stone, with just a little clinging on (semi-clingstone). The skin is smooth and only slightly fuzzy, and yellowish-red as the fruit develops, ripening to a dark scarlet red over 100% of the fruit surface. The fruits are beautiful as well as delicious – a harvest you will be proud of. The fruit ripens during the second half of June, and holds ripe on the tree for about 12 days. It can be stored in the fridge, and stays in good condition for up to 3 weeks – so you will still be eating your own peaches in late August – amazing!

Using the Country Sweet Peach in Your Garden

With its attractive blooming, and the beauty of a tree full of ripening fruit, the Country Sweet Peach tree can be grown right on a lawn as a specimen – just step out the door and pick a peach. It can of course also be grown in a designated area for home fruit and vegetable growing. Keep the area beneath the tree free of grass while young, although mature trees can have lawn under them.

Hardiness

This tree is hardy in zone 5, and it will grow into zone 8, as well as in zone 9 areas with cool winters. It needs 800 to 900 chilling hours (when temperatures are below 45oF), which corresponds to a line through Central Texas and including most of North Carolina, as well as much of the West Coast. For warmer areas, choose a variety needing only 500 to 600 chilling hours.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is needed for the Country Sweet Peach to bloom well and ripen its crop. The soil should be well-drained light, with a good percentage of sand. Heavy clay soils need plenty of organic material added, and it is best to plant the tree on a mound of soil if your soil is heavy.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although subject to some pests or diseases, like all fruit trees, on the Country Sweet Peach tree these can normally be controlled with organic methods, such as neem oil, Bordeaux mixture and winter lime-sulfur sprays.

When the developing fruits are about the size of a quarter, remove all but one from each cluster, spacing them about 6 inches apart along the limbs. This will give you top-quality and full-sized fruit – leaving too many fruit produces poor, very small peaches.

Pruning should begin when young, and aim to develop a single central trunk with low-down branching into about 5 major limbs, radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. Aim to develop an open, vase-shaped tree without branches in the center, to allow sun to enter and ripen the fruit. Prune in early spring or after harvest, avoiding the winter months when pruning can spread disease.

History and Origin of the Country Sweet Peach

The peach tree, Prunus persica, once grew wild on the hills of northwestern China, and its blossoms and fruit figure in ancient Chinese art and literature. It was brought to Europe centuries ago along the Silk Road, and eventually from there to America. Thomas Jefferson had peach trees growing in the gardens of Monticello.

The variety called Country Sweet was developed at Zaiger’s Genetics, a fruit-breeding research nursery near Modesto California run by the late Chris “Floyd” Zaiger and his sons. They crossed together multiple varieties of nectarines and peaches, chiefly ‘May Grand’ and ‘Sun Grand’ nectarines and the ‘Royal Gold’ peach. After several generations of breeding, around 1995 they selected one plant from a trial plot of seedlings, and named it Country Sweet. It was patented in 1998 (PP# 11,090), which has recently expired.

Buying the Country Sweet Peach at the Tree Center

Ah, the joy of tree-ripened fruit! The pleasure of picking fully-ripe peaches in June, and eating them still warm from the sun – delicious! For that true special taste of sweet peaches from a farm stall, plant the Country Sweet Peach, and enjoy. Order now – this highly-prized variety

Growing the Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach

Size and Appearance

The Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach is a small deciduous tree that grows rapidly, adding up to 4 feet of new growth a year and reaching 15 feet tall within 4 or 5 years, and 20 to 25 feet within a decade or so. It has a narrow upright form, with the branches growing vertically into a column. With maturity it will widen a little, developing a spread of up to 15 feet in time. It branches from low down, with a short trunk usually no more than 2 feet tall. The young branches are shiny green, touched with red on the sunny side. They mature to a gray-green and then turn gray-brown as they mature, developing a rugged and rough-textured bark with lots of character. The leaves are 5 to 6 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches wide, with a smooth surface and a pointed tip. The spring leaves are brightly colored a middle shade of purple, turning soft red as they mature. This color is kept well through the summer months, especially in cooler zones. In fall the leaves turn clear yellow.

Flowers appear between mid-March and mid-April in most areas, although it varies with yearly changes in the weather. The blossoms open all along the younger bare twigs, and they are abundant and large – a full 1½ inches across, packed with around 30 petals – making a beautiful fully-double blossom in a gorgeous shade of rich dark pink. The flowers are also fragrant, and all in all, just charming. Early pollinating bees and insects will visit the blooms. After about 2 weeks the petals begin to fall and the new leaves begin to appear. In some years a small quantity of fruits form, at first green and then yellow. These are small, just 1½ inches across, and although edible they are not appealing, with a slightly bitter taste, but perhaps they could be used for making chutney.

Using the Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach in Your Garden

This lovely tree is perfect for quickly creating interest in a new garden, perhaps on a lawn or as an accent in a shrub bed. It could also be planted as an avenue or screen along a fence. Its narrow form makes it perfect in smaller spaces and smaller gardens. It could be grown in a large tub or planter box as well, and even turned into a fascinating bonsai tree. It does not have a long life – perhaps 20 years – so it is perfect for planting near slower growing but long-lived trees and shrubs, for interest and beauty while your garden matures.

Hardiness

The Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach is hardy all the way from zone 5 to cooler parts of zone 8, needing about 950 hours in winter below 45 degrees.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant this tree in full sun for the best blooming and growth. The soil should be well-drained, but otherwise this tree grows in just about all garden conditions, including urban gardens and poor soils. Once established it has some drought resistance.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach has moderate resistance to disease and because the fruit is not the goal of growing, it doesn’t suffer badly from pests or disease problems. Pruning is not needed, but it could be trimmed after blooming, for a more compact or neater shape.

History and Origin of the Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach

The Peach, Prunus persica, is better known to us for its delicious edible fruits. It probably originated in northwest China, and the blossoms are often featured in classic Chinese art. Most attention in breeding has been give to creating better fruit, but ornamental forms have been grown for a long time. In 1983 the team at the Sandhills Research Station in Jackson Springs, part of the North Carolina State University, began breeding ornamental peaches. Dennis Werner, Steve Worthington, and Layne Snelling crossed together, using hand pollination, two trees – a nectarine called ‘NC174RL` and an upright peach tree from Japan designated as ‘Pillar’. They grew the seedlings, and then collected fruit from them once they began to bloom. From that seed they grew more seedlings, and from among those they selected four trees, all with a narrow columnar form, but with different flower colors. These were released in the late 1990s as the Corinthian Series, and among them one, with red leaves and bright pink flowers, stands out. It was patented as ‘Corinthian Rose’ in 2001.

Buying the Corinthian Rose Flowering Peach at the Tree Center

This outstanding fast-growing ornamental tree is really worthwhile for its wonderful spring blooms and striking narrow form, yet it is rarely available. We grabbed the great plants we found, but our stock is limited. Order now, but they won’t be around much longer.

Growing the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The Scarlet Prince Peach Tree is a vigorous tree growing to around 15 feet tall and wide, although its size will be influenced by how you grow it. The slightly glossy leaves are 6 to 8 inches long, and relatively narrow, but the beauty begins before the leaves, when the large pink blossoms open early April. Charming and very appealing, these blooms alone would win this tree a place in your flower garden. Almost as soon as the petals fall you will see tiny fruits developing, and this variety is fully self-fertile, so you don’t need a second tree for a full crop to develop. Over the next two months the fruits swell and grow rapidly, so that by late June they will be almost full-size.

The large fruits of this tree are of the highest quality, with a 3-inch diameter, and skin that when ripe is about 90% dark red, with only a little peach fuzz on it. It looks so good to eat – and it is. This is a freestone variety, so it is easy to eat to the last bite, or to prepare and slice for salads and baking. The flesh is golden yellow, and when fully ripe the area around the stone will be stained red. The flesh is free of fibers – experts call this ‘melting’ – and it melts in your mouth with wonderful sweetness and full flavor.

Using the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree in Your Garden

With its lovely spring blooms this fruit tree is perfect for planting on a lawn – you don’t need a special area in your garden. You can watch your harvest ripen as you enjoy the warmth and sun of spring and early summer. In cooler zones you might consider growing it as an espalier. This is also ideal in a smaller garden, since spread out on a sunny wall it takes up almost no room. The full sun means maximum ripening and sweetness, and means even in cool zones you can enjoy your own fresh peaches.

Hardiness

The Scarlet Prince Peach Tree requires about 850 chilling hours over the winter, with temperatures below 45 degrees. This matures the flower buds, and allows them to open normally in spring. So this variety is ideal for cooler zones, in zone 7 and in the cooler end of zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The sunniest spot in your garden is perfect for the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree, because peaches grow bigger and sweeter the more sun they get. The soil should be well-drained, and lighter, more sandy soils are preferred by peach trees. If your soil is heavy, plant in a higher area or on a raised mound of soil. Enrich the soil with organic material when planting, for nutrients and for drainage.

Maintenance and Pruning

An important goal in breeding the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree was disease resistance, and this variety has good resistance to bacterial leaf spot, a serious disease, particularly in the southeast. Other pests can usually be easily dealt with, and this tree is vigorous and free of virus diseases. We recommend Neem Oil spray for minor insect problems. The goal in pruning is to maintain an open vase-shaped tree with no branches in the center, to allow as much sun as possible to penetrate. Prune in late winter or after harvest, developing a form like a bowl, with radiating branches spreading out. For the best quality and largest fruit, remove all but one peach from each cluster early, when the fruits are no more than the size of a quarter. Leaving too many peaches will mean small fruits that are mostly stone.

History and Origin of the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree

When a peach grower sees the word, ‘prince’ in the name of a variety they know it is the work of Dr. Dick Okie, the chief peach breeder between 1980 and 2010 at the US Department of Agriculture’s Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia. Dr. Okie started with an older Californian variety called ‘O’Henry’, the first red-skinned peach created around 1970. He bred from that variety a new tree called ‘Blazeprince’, but both these varieties are susceptible to bacterial leaf spot (Xanthomonas). He kept breeding, and the result was the variety he called ‘Scarletprince’, with good disease resistance and top-quality fruits.

Buying the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree at the Tree Center

For a peach that will give you a bumper harvest right in the middle of the peach season, you can’t do better than the Scarlet Prince Peach Tree. All of Dr.Okie’s varieties are of top quality, and they are always high on everyone’s wish list. So order your tree right away, because our limited supply will soon all have been shipped out.

Growing the Ruby Prince Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The Ruby Prince Peach Tree is a vigorous, easy-to-grow deciduous tree, with slender leaves about 7 inches long. It blooms in March with lovely bright-pink blossoms all along the bare branches. Those blooms quickly develop into baby peaches, and since this variety is self-fertile it sets a full crop with no outside help. Those babies grow and grow, until by early June they are 3 inches across, and the greenish-yellow skin has been replaced with a scarlet-red coloring over more than 80% of the fruit. That rich ruby coloring makes it look absolutely delicious. Biting into it won’t disappoint either, because the beautiful melting flesh, free of fibers, turns to liquid gold in your mouth, full of sweetness and a touch of tart to make it interesting. The golden yellow flesh clings to the stone – this is true of just about every early peach, we have to wait for later crops to get that easy-slice freestone varieties. The fruits ripen slowly, so you can always find one that is just right, without facing a sudden glut of fruit all ripe at the same moment.

Using the Ruby Prince Peach Tree in Your Garden

You don’t need an orchard to grow this peach – just plant it on your lawn, and enjoy the lovely blossoms, as pretty as any spring-flowering shrub. In cooler zones you can grow it as an espalier on a sunny wall. This is the recommended way to have top-quality peaches in cooler zones.

Hardiness

The Ruby Prince Peach Tree needs at least 850 chilling hours over the winter, with temperatures below 45 degrees. This makes it ideal for cooler zones, all the way through zone 7 and into the cooler end of zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant the Ruby Prince Peach Tree in full sun – lots of sun means perfectly ripened sweet peaches. The ideal soil is lighter, with some sand in it, so that it is very well-drained and doesn’t stay cold and wet in spring. If you have heavier clay soil, try to plant at the top of a slope, in a higher place, or on a mound of soil.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Ruby Prince Peach Tree is relatively resistant to diseases, and it’s vigor and toughness mean fewer problems. Remember that home-grown fruit will usually not look as perfect as supermarket fruit, but it will taste better and be grown naturally – a worthwhile tradeoff. Prune in late winter and immediately after harvesting, to develop an open, vase-shaped form on your tree, to let the sun in and ripen your crop. To grow full-sized fruit you should thin the young fruit when it is about the size of a quarter, leaving just one fruit in each cluster. If you don’t thin and have a lot of baby fruits, the fruit you get will be very small and mostly stone.

History and Origin of the Ruby Prince Peach Tree

Georgia has been producing peaches since the middle of the 19th century, when they were carried by river-boats and steamships to New York for sale. Bryon, Georgia has been a center for peach growing since those days, and it is also the center for scientific breeding, at the US Department of Agriculture’s Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory. How can you tell a peach variety that came from the breeding work of Dr. Dick Okie, who was the lab’s chief stone-fruit breeder between 1980 and 2010? Simple – it has ‘prince’ as part of the name. He released 15 different princes over 25 years, all of them great peaches. Why ‘prince’? Because his predecessor in breeding, and the driving force behind creating the lab was Dr. Victor Prince, and Dr. Okie always said that it was ‘just a great name for any peach’. The variety called ‘Ruby Prince’ was released in 1997, after years of careful development.

Buying the Ruby Prince Peach Tree at the Tree Center

Make this variety the peachy prince of your garden, and pick wonderful sweet peaches at the very beginning of the season, by growing the Ruby Prince Peach Tree. But don’t hesitate to place your order, because lots and lots of gardeners feel exactly the same way, and our stock will soon be gone.

Growing the O’Henry Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The O’Henry Peach Tree is a robust deciduous tree with strong vigorous growth. It will rapidly form a substantial tree, carrying a big crop of peaches. It will grow at least 15 feet tall and wide, although that size can be modified with pruning and growing techniques. The leaves are over 7 inches long, but slender, with a slight gloss to their dark green coloring. It blooms in early March in warmer zones – a little later further north. The showy pink blossoms are carried on the bare twigs, and they make this tree not only useful, but ornamental as well. Like most peaches it is self-fertile, and doesn’t need another variety of peach for pollination – it makes a bumper crop all on its own. The fruits begin to ripen by mid-August in most areas, making this a great companion to early fruiting varieties – you can extend the season of fresh peaches by weeks and weeks.

The fruit is medium-large, about 3 inches in diameter, and when ripe the skin is almost completely colored dark red, with just a small amount of fuzz, making it great for eating straight from the tree. The flesh is brilliant yellow, with a rich, deep and appetizing glow. This is a freestone variety, and the flesh around the stone is tinted a rich pink. The flavor is intense. Sweet and rich, with a tangy note too, this is one of those peaches where you go, ‘Wow!’, the moment you take your first bite. Perfect for eating fresh, slicing into salads, baking, and even freezing, nothing will be wasted of that big crop you will soon be harvesting.

Using the O’Henry Peach Tree in Your Garden

With its showy flowers you can proudly grow this tree out on your lawn – you don’t need a peach orchard. Of course you can also start a section of your garden for home fruit – many people are doing this today. If your garden is small, or you live in zones 5 and 6, you might want to grow this tree spread out on a sunny wall or fence, as an espalier. This exposes the tree to lots of sun and gives you much better ripening and sweeter fruit.

Hardiness

The O’Henry Peach Tree needs about 800 chilling hours over the winter which means that it grows best in areas with moderate winter cold and hot summers, through to zone 8. While it will grow in zone 9 in California and Oregon, it is not so likely to do well in zone 9 in the southeast – choose a variety like the Snowbrite Peach instead.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow your O’Henry Peach Tree in full sun – the more the better. It will grow in any well-drained soil, preferring lighter soils like loams and sandy loams. If you have clay soil, try to plant at the top of a slope, or on a mound of earth, to give better drainage.

Maintenance and Pruning

All peach trees can suffer from pests or diseases, but these are mostly relatively easy to control, but not eliminate. Remember that those perfect fruits you see are the result of perfect growing conditions and frequent chemical sprays, and home crops don’t have to look perfect to taste delicious. We recommend Neem Oil spray to control many pests and diseases. For the best crops, prune your tree to develop an open, vase-shaped form. This lets the sun in to ripen the fruit well. Once you can see the clusters of green fruit clearly, remove all but the best one from each cluster, otherwise you will have a big crop of tiny peaches that are mostly stone.

History and Origin of the O’Henry Peach Tree

Peaches have been a big crop in California back to the time of the Spanish settlers, and many of our best varieties first saw the sun in California. The industry is and was large, with many growers and breeders working together. Grant Merrill was a private breeder of peaches who lived and worked in Exeter, a Californian center for peach growing. In the 1960s the peaches being grown had pale yellow flesh and mostly yellow skin, with perhaps a small red blush. So when Merrill introduced his new variety called ‘O’Henry’, it was a sensation. The red skin and the dark yellow flesh, combined with amazing flavor, made it a top variety for commercial growers all through the 70s and 80s, making up 40% of the harvest. He released it in 1968, and patented it in 1970 (PP# 2,964). Grant Merrill was a prolific and successful breeder, patenting around 50 varieties of peaches. Most are no longer grown, but ‘O’Henry’ lives on with specialist growers and as a home-garden variety. You too can enjoy this landmark peach – an heirloom tree that is still as good as it gets.

Buying the O’Henry Peach Tree at the Tree Center

Don’t forget that the O’Henry Peach has amazing flavor inside that yellow flesh. It was a winner in Sunset Magazine’s taste tests, so lovers of good peaches always look for this variety. That means our stock will soon be gone – order now and end the peach season with something truly delicious.

Growing the Julyprince Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The Julyprince Peach Tree is a robust and vigorous tree, reaching 12 to 15 feet tall and wide, depending on the pruning and growing techniques you use. The large leaves are about 6 inches long, and an attractive dark green, with a slight gloss. It flowers in April with a profusion of small pink blossoms on the bare stems, making a charming picture in the garden. These blooms soon turn into tiny green peaches, and a single tree will carry a full crop, because this is a self-fertile peach. The fruits grow steadily over the summer months, until they are between 3 and 4 inches across, covered with yellow skin that is almost free of peach fuzz. Through July a large red blush develops on the fruit, covering up to 80% of its surface by the time the fruit ripens at the end of July and into the first days of August.

Once fully-ripe these peaches hold on the tree for about 10 days, making it easy to pick a fresh, ripe peach straight from the tree, without having to even store them. The flesh inside is melt-in-the-mouth good, with a smooth buttery texture free of fibers. This is a freestone variety, so it is easy to eat and easy to prepare for slicing too. The flesh is a rich yellow, with traces of red in the flesh close to the stone, and of course the taste is amazing, full of juicy sweetness with the perfect acid balance.

Using the July Prince Peach Tree in Your Garden

With its pretty spring bloom you can grow this tree on your garden lawn for decoration, and then slip outside to pick those peaches in summer – sounds like paradise. Peaches are excellent for growing on a sunny wall or fence in cooler zones. Spread out and trained as an espalier, the extra heat and sun produce top-quality fruit that ripens well. Plus it takes up almost no room in your garden.

Hardiness

The July Prince Peach Tree is hardy from zone 5 into zone 8. It needs around 800 hours a winter of temperatures below 45 degrees, so beyond the cooler parts of zone 8 it may not be properly chilled, and flowers will not develop well. It has good frost resistance for uncertain springs in cooler zones.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Peach trees need full sun for proper blooming and to ripen the fruit, so avoid planting in any shade. The ideal soil is relatively light, with good drainage. Heavier, clay soils should have plenty of organic material added to improve the drainage, and avoid planting in a low-lying spot.

Maintenance and Pruning

The July Prince Peach Tree has good resistance to diseases, and any pests can usually be controlled with organic methods like neem oil spray. Pruning should be done in early spring or after harvesting, avoiding the winter months. Aim to develop an open vase-shaped tree without branches in the center, to allow plenty of sun to penetrate your tree.

History and Origin of the July Prince Peach Tree

The original peach trees, Prunus persica, grew on the hillsides of northwestern China, where it has been admired for its blossoms and fruit for many centuries. It travelled to Europe along the Silk Road, and then to America, where Thomas Jefferson grew peach trees in his garden at Monticello.

Georgia has been a center for commercial peach-growing for more than 100 years, and a lot of varieties have been created by breeders there. Dr. Dick Okie is a scientist at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia, part of the US Department of Agriculture. To create the variety he called ‘Julyprince’, he started with a variety called ‘Harvester’, bred at Louisiana State University, and with a seedling made in Japan by crossing varieties called ‘Koyohakuto’ and ‘Okubo’ at the National Institute of Fruit Tree Science in Ibaraki, Japan. Working through further generations of seedlings he ended up with a tree that he selected in 1995 for its amazing quality and top-rate fruit. You can see how complex peach breeding is – but how good the results can be.

Buying the July Prince Peach Tree at the Tree Center

In the 25 years since its release, the Julyprince Peach Tree has proved its worth, and just how good it is. If you like big juicy peaches, full of flavor, then this is the tree you should be planting. Order now, because top varieties always ship out first.

Growing the Blaze Prince Peach Tree

Size and Appearance

The Blaze Prince Peach Tree is a robust tree growing to 15 feet tall and wide, although that can be modified by pruning and growing techniques. The long oval leaves have a softly serrated edge and a pointed tip, and they are about 6 inches long. In April the bare branches are covered in pretty pink flowers – beautiful in themselves, and a promise of things to come. This variety is completely self-pollinating, so you don’t need a second peach tree to grow a full crop. Shortly after the petals drop from the flowers the leaves emerge, and you won’t see much for a while. Then you will start to find clusters of little green peaches growing, getting larger every day. By July they will be big, but with a pale orange-yellow skin. Then that skin begins to turn scarlet red, until almost all the fruit is glowing – the time has almost come. In the second week of August press a fruit gently. If it yields to your touch a little, it’s harvest time.

The fruit has bright yellow flesh and it is full of that rich, delicious peach flavor that only tree-ripened fruit can offer. The red tones in the skin tint the outer flesh with red too, in a most beautiful way. This is a freestone variety, so the flesh comes away easily from the stone without any mess. Experts describe a variety like this as having a ‘melting texture’ – it literally melts in your mouth, without any fibers, like a bite of sweet butter. A low acid variety, although still with some pleasant tang, children love the superb sweetness as the juice runs down their chins. Yes, this is also an incredibly juicy variety, literally bursting with it.

Using the Blaze Prince Peach Tree in Your Garden

Whether you grow this tree on a sunny lawn in your garden, or develop a dedicated area for fruit trees is up to you, and how large your property is. Peach trees are among the prettiest of fruit trees, so don’t be afraid to plant it in your flower garden. In cooler zones peaches are excellent for growing on a sunny wall, spreading them out in the style called ‘espalier’. They take up almost no room and they crop well and ripen well too – you don’t need to live in the South to grow your own peaches.

Hardiness

The Blaze Prince Peach Tree needs 850 chilling hours over the winter, which means it is ideal for cooler zones like zone 4 – it is professionally recommended for New Jersey gardeners – and all the way into zone 7. In cooler areas it is ideal for growing as an espalier on a south-facing wall, where a good crop is much more likely. For warmer zones we recommend varieties like Snowbrite, with low chilling requirements. Check our current selection.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Peaches love the sun – it makes them bloom and it ripens the fruit – so plant your Blaze Prince Peach Tree in a sheltered, sunny place. Well-drained soil is important, and peach trees prefer lighter loams and sandy-loams. If your soil is clay, try to plant in a high spot, like the top of a slope or on a mound of earth, and add plenty of coarse organic material when planting.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Blaze Prince Peach Tree has good resistance to bacterial spot – a serious disease of peaches that damages leaves and fruit. So extensive disease control is not needed. Some pests may need spraying – we recommend natural methods like neem oil spray and soap sprays. Your goal in pruning is to develop an open bowl-shaped or vase-shaped tree, with no branches in the center, so that the sun penetrated all through the tree. When young fruits are the size of a quarter, remove all but one from each cluster. This gives you full-sized peaches with plenty of flesh. Leaving every fruit will mean small fruit that is mostly stone.

History and Origin of the Blaze Prince Peach Tree

The peach tree, Prunus persica, grew wild on the hills of northwestern China, until people began to cultivate it centuries ago. It travelled the Silk Road to Europe, and from there to America, where early settlers in the South and in California found it grew wonderfully for them. The variety ‘Blaze Prince’ goes way back to those early days, with a possible introduction date of 1876, but that is all we know.

Buying the Blaze Prince Peach Tree at the Tree Center

Classic varieties like the Blaze Prince Peach Tree are still with us for a good reason – they are great, trouble-free plants that really deliver. This popular variety is always in high demand, so order your trees now, while our limited stock remains available.