Peach, Flowering Peach, Ornamental Peach, Common Peach
Prunus persica

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Pink, Red, White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded.

Prunus persica is a deciduous Tree growing to 6 m (19ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 6

Where it is found

Not known in a truly wild situation, it is possibly derived in cultivation from P. davidiana.

E. Asia - China.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use. The fruit is often used in ice creams, pies, jams etc. When fully ripe, the fruit of the best forms are very juicy with a rich delicious flavour. Wild trees in the Himalayas yield about 36.5kg of fruit a year. The fruit of the wild form contains about 5.2% sugars, 2% protein, 1.6% ash. Vitamin C content is 2.3mg per 100g. The fruit is a good source of vitamin A. Fruits of the wild peach are richer in nutrients than the cultivated forms. The size of fruit varies widely between cultivars and the wild form, it can be up to 7cm in diameter and contains one seed. Flowers - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a garnish. They can also be brewed into a tea. The distilled flowers yield a white liquid which can be used to impart a flavour resembling the seed. Seed - raw or cooked. Do not eat if it is too bitter, seed can contain high concentrations of hydrocyanic acid. See the notes above on toxicity. A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed. Although the report does not mention edibility it can be assumed that it is edible. The seed contains up to 45% oil. A gum is obtained from the stem. It can be used for chewing.

Oil: Oil

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Antihalitosis. The leaves are astringent, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, laxative, parasiticide and mildly sedative. They are used internally in the treatment of gastritis, whooping cough, coughs and bronchitis. They also help to relieve vomiting and morning sickness during pregnancy, though the dose must be carefully monitored because of their diuretic action. The dried and powdered leaves have sometimes been used to help heal sores and wounds. The leaves are harvested in June and July then dried for later use. The flowers are diuretic, sedative and vermifuge. They are used internally in the treatment of constipation and oedema. A gum from the stems is alterative, astringent, demulcent and sedative. The seed is antiasthmatic, antitussive, emollient, haemolytic, laxative and sedative. It is used internally in the treatment of constipation in the elderly, coughs, asthma and menstrual disorders. The bark is demulcent, diuretic, expectorant and sedative. It is used internally in the treatment of gastritis, whooping cough, coughs and bronchitis. The root bark is used in the treatment of dropsy and jaundice. The bark is harvested from young trees in the spring and is dried for later use. The seed contains 'laetrile', a substance that has also been called vitamin B17. This has been claimed to have a positive effect in the treatment of cancer, but there does not at present seem to be much evidence to support this. The pure substance is almost harmless, but on hydrolysis it yields hydrocyanic acid, a very rapidly acting poison - it should thus be treated with caution. In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being.

Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.

Antihalitosis: Treats bad breath

Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Haemolytic: Breaks down red blood corpuscles to separate haemoglobin.

Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.

Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.

Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content

Other

Rating: 3

A green dye can be obtained from the leaves. Yellow according to another report. A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit. A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed. It is used as a substitute for almond oil in skin creams. The bruised leaves, when rubbed within any container, will remove strong odours such as garlic or cloves so long as any grease has first been fully cleaned off. A gum obtained from the stem is used as an adhesive.

Adhesive: Glues.

Cleanser: For various materials. Perhaps best included under separate headings.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Espalier: A tree or other plant that is trained to grow flat against a support (such as a trellis or wall).

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Container, Espalier, Firewood. Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone. Best not grown in acid soils. Prefers some chalk in the soil but it is apt to become chlorotic if too much is present. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7. Succeeds in light shade but fruits better in a sunny position. Requires shelter from north and north-east winds and also from spring frosts. Widely cultivated for its edible fruit in warm temperate areas and continental climates, there are many named varieties. There are numerous divisions of the varieties according to skin colour etc. Perhaps the most useful from the eaters point of view is whether it is free-stone (the flesh parts easily from the seed) or cling-stone (the flesh adheres to the seed). Trees are normally hardy in southern Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c when they are dormant, but they require some protection if cropping is to be at all reliable. This is not due so much to lack of cold hardiness, more to the cooler summers in Britain which do not fully ripen the wood and the fruit, plus the unpredictable winters and springs which, in a mild spell, can excite the tree into premature flowering and growth which is then very liable to damage in any following cold spell. Hand pollination at this time can improve fruit-set. The cultivar 'Rochester' is more likely than most cultivars to succeed outdoors in Britain. In general it is best to site peaches in a very warm sheltered sunny position, preferably against a south or west facing wall. Most cultivars are self-fertile. Trees are often grafted onto plum or other rootstocks but are said to be better when grown on their own roots in southern Britain. Trees are not generally long-lived, this is partly because of the need for the tree to produce a constant supply of new wood since most fruit is formed on one-year old wood (though some fruit spurs are formed). Garlic is a good companion for this plant, helping to prevent disease, especially peach leaf curl. Tansy grown below peach trees helps to keep them healthier. Peach leaf curl can also be prevented by protecting the plants from winter and early spring rains, perhaps by covering them in plastic. Plants grown or overwintered indoors do not suffer from leaf curl. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Special Features: Edible, Not North American native, All or parts of this plant are poisonous, Attractive flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a standard with a non-suckering single trunk. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots spreading near the soil surface. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from runners away from the plant .

Propagating it: Seed - requires 2 - 3 months cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible. The stored seed is best given 2 months warm followed by 3 months cold stratification. Protect the seed from mice etc. The seed can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame. A very low percentage. Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants in spring to early summer in a frame. Layering in spring.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 5-9

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The seed can contain high levels of hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is readily detected by its bitter taste. Usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm, any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Amygdalis persicus. Persica vulgaris.