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Perennial Fruit Tree · zones 5–9 · 55 varieties

Peach

Prunus persica

Rosaceae — the same plant family as apple, cherry, plum, european pear and 4 more here. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.

Peach (Prunus persica) is a perennial fruit tree for USDA zones 5–9. It wants full sun and pH 6–6.5 soil, with about 1–2 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 3–4 yr on a grafted nursery tree. Watch for plum curculio and brown rot. Below: its full sourced profile from 14 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 5–9 — USDA USDA
Sun Full sun
Water Moderate
First harvest 3–4 yr — grafted grafted
Mature size 15–25 ft
Spacing 144–240 in
Soil pH 6–6.5
Frost Hardy
When to plant peachtypical · zone 6b
Your zone
…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Establishing
Flowering
Fruit set
Ripening
Harvest
Dormant
Dormant

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing peachevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones
5–9
Sun
Full sun
Soil pH
6–6.5
Soil texture
Sandy loam, Loam, Well drained
Frost tolerance
Hardy

The plant

Mature height
15–25 ft
Mature spread
12–25 ft
Growth rate
Fastest
Spacing in row
144–240 in
Between rows
144–240 in
Planting depth
1–2 in
Container size
15–25 gal — low end is the minimum, high end is betterest
Support
Self-supporting
Grown from
Grafting, Budding

Water & feeding

Water needs
Moderate
Water per week
1–2 in/wkest
Critical water
Fruit set, Ripeningest
Feeding
Moderate

Timing & fruiting

Years to first harvest
3–4 yr
That is the grafted nursery tree, which is what a nursery sells.
Chill hours
200–1050 hrs
Pollination
Self fertile
Harvest cues
Fruit coloring
Open blossoms damaged at
27 °F
Open blossoms killed at
24 °F

Edible parts per source: fruit.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first
PestsPlum curculioPeachtree borerLesser peachtree borerPeach twig borerOriental fruit mothScaleSpider mitesAphidsStink bugsEarwigs
DiseasesBrown rotStone fruit bacterial spotPeach leaf curlPeach scabShot holeCytospora cankerCrown and root rotPowdery mildewGummosis

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

⚠ Reported toxicityverbatim from cited sources

Different parts differ — the edible part is the fruit; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.

PeopleToxic seeds

Petsdogs, cats, horses

Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).

All 55 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked
Variety Type DaysColorSizeWhat it is known for
Autumn Star Freestone — Bicolor
Babcock Heirloom Freestone — White
Belle of Georgia Heirloom Freestone — Bicolor
Blushingstar Freestone — White
Bonanza Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this ashappy in a pot
Carolina Belle Freestone — White
Contender Freestone — Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards describes this astakes the cold
Cresthaven Freestone — Large
Desertgold Heirloom Clingstone —
Earlitreat Freestone —
Early Elberta Heirloom Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this astakes the cold
Early White Giant Heirloom Semi Freestone — Bicolor
El Dorado Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this ashappy in a pot
Elberta Heirloom Freestone —
Encore Freestone — Large
Fay Elberta Heirloom Freestone —
FlordaGlo Clingstone —
Flordaking Clingstone — Bicolor
Frost Freestone —
Garden Gold Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this ashappy in a pot
Garden Sun Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this ashappy in a pot
Georgia Belle Heirloom Freestone — Bicolor Large
Glohaven Freestone —
Gold Dust Semi Freestone —
Golden Jubilee Heirloom Freestone —
Halehaven Heirloom Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this astakes the cold
Harken Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this astakes the cold
Honey Babe Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this ashappy in a pot
Indian Blood Cling Heirloom Clingstone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this asan unusual color
Indian Free Heirloom Freestone —
Intrepid Freestone — Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards describes this astakes the cold
J.H. Hale Heirloom Freestone —
June Gold Clingstone — Large
Loring Freestone — Large
Madison Freestone — Grandpa's Orchard describes this astakes the cold
Newhaven Freestone — Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards describes this astakes the cold
O'Henry Freestone —
Red Baron Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this asan unusual color
Redglobe Freestone — Red Large
Redhaven Heirloom Freestone —
Redskin Heirloom Freestone — Large
Reliance Freestone — Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards describes this astakes the cold
Rio Oso Gem Heirloom Freestone —
Saturn Freestone — White Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards describes this asan unusual color
ScarletPearl — White
Sentinel Semi Freestone — Medium
Snow Beauty Freestone — White
Springcrest Clingstone — Small
Suncrest Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this astakes the cold
Sunhigh Freestone —
TropicSnow Freestone — White
UFGold Clingstone — Bicolor Large
UFSun Clingstone — Medium
Veteran Freestone — Dave Wilson Nursery describes this astakes the cold
White Lady Freestone — White
Sources14 cited · 12 organizations
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
  • Alabama Cooperative Extension System
  • Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center
  • Michigan State University Extension (compiled by Mark Longstroth; values from WSU EB0914)
  • Mississippi State University Extension
  • NC State Extension
  • North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
  • Penn State Extension
  • UC Statewide IPM Program
  • UConn Home & Garden Education Center
  • University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
  • Utah State University Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 20 of the 24 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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