This article is about the tree and its fruit.
The
peach (
Prunus persica) is a
deciduous tree,
native to North-West China, in the region between the Tarim basin and the north slopes of the Kunlun Shan mountains, where it was first domesticated and cultivated. It bears an edible juicy fruit also called a
peach. The species name
persica refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia, whence it was transplanted to Europe. It belongs to the
genus Prunus which includes the
cherry and
plum, in the
family Rosaceae. The peach is classified with the
almond in the subgenus
Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell.
Peaches and
nectarines are the same species, even though they are regarded commercially as different fruits. In contrast to peach whose fruits present the characteristic fuzz on the skin nectarines are characterized by the absence of fruit skin trichomes (fuzz-less fruit); genetic studies suggest nectarines are produced due to a recessive
allele, whereas peaches are produced from a dominant allele for fuzzy skin.
China is the world's largest producer of peaches and nectarines.
Description
Peach flower, fruit, seed and leaves as illustrated by Otto Wilhelm Thomé (1885).
Prunus persica grows to 4–10 m (13–33 ft) tall and 6 in. in diameter. The
leaves are
lanceolate, 7–16 cm (2.8–6.3 in) long, 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) broad,
pinnatelyveined. The
flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 2.5–3 cm diameter, pink, with five petals. The
fruit has yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a skin that is either velvety (
peaches) or smooth (
nectarines) in different
cultivars. The flesh is very delicate and easily bruised in some cultivars, but is fairly firm in some commercial varieties, especially when green. The single, large seed is red-brown, oval shaped, approximately 1.3–2 cm long, and is surrounded by a wood-like husk. Peaches, along with
cherries,
plums and
apricots, are stone fruits (
drupes). There are various heirloom varieties, including the Indian peach, which arrives in the latter part of the summer.
Cultivated peaches are divided into
clingstones and freestones, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little
acidity, while yellow-fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Both colours often have some red on their skin. Low-acid white-fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighbouring Asian countries, while Europeans and North Americans have historically favoured the acidic, yellow-fleshed kinds.
Etymology
The scientific name persica, along with the word "peach" itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia. The Ancient Romans referred to the peach as malum persicum"Persian apple", later becoming French pêche, hence the English "peach".
History
Although its botanical name
Prunus persica refers to Persia (present Iran) from where it came to Europe, genetic studies suggest peaches originated in China, where they have been
cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture, circa 2000 BC. Peaches were mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as the 10th century BC and were a favoured fruit of kings and emperors. As of late, the history of cultivation of peaches in China has been extensively reviewed citing numerous original manuscripts dating back to 1100 BC.
The peach was brought to India and Western Asia in ancient times. Peach cultivation also went from China, through Persia, and reached Greece by 300 BC. Alexander the Great introduced the fruit into Europe after he conquered the Persians. Peaches were well known to the Romans in first century AD, and was cultivated widely in
Emilia-Romagna. Peach trees are portrayed in the wall paintings of the towns destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD, with the oldest artistic representations of peach fruit, discovered so far, are in the two fragments of wall paintings, dated back to the 1st century AD, in
Herculaneum, now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Peach was brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, and eventually made it to England and France in the 17th century, where it was a prized and expensive treat. The
horticulturist George Minifie supposedly brought the first peaches from England to its North American colonies in the early 17th century, planting them at his Estate of Buckland in Virginia. Although Thomas Jefferson had peach trees at Monticello, United States farmers did not begin commercial production until the 19th century in Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and finally Virginia.
In April 2010, an International Consortium, The International Peach Genome Initiative (IPGI), that include researchers from USA, Italy, Chile, Spain and France announced they had sequenced the peach tree genome (doubled haploid Lovell). Recently, IPGI published the peach genome sequence and related analyses. The peach genome sequence is composed of 227 millions of nucleotides arranged in 8 pseudomolecules representing the 8 peach chromosomes (2n = 16). In addition, a total of 27,852 protein-coding genes and 28,689 protein-coding transcripts were predicted. Particular emphasis in this study is reserved to the analysis of the genetic diversity in peach germplasm and how it was shaped by human activities such as domestication and breeding. Major historical bottlenecks were individuated, one related to the putative original domestication that is supposed to have taken place in China about 4,000–5,000 years ago, the second is related to the western germplasm and is due to the early dissemination of peach in Europe from China and to the more recent breeding activities in US and Europe. These bottlenecks highlighted the strong reduction of genetic diversity associated with domestication and breeding activities.
Cultivation
A peach flower with a bee pollinating it
Peaches grow very well in a fairly limited range, since they have a
chilling requirement that low altitude tropical areas cannot satisfy. In tropical and equatorial latitudes, such as
Ecuador,
Colombia,
Ethiopia,
India and
Nepal, they grow at higher altitudes that can satisfy the chilling requirement. The trees themselves can usually tolerate temperatures to around −26 to −30 °C (−15 to −22 °F), although the following season's flower buds are usually killed at these temperatures, leading to no crop that summer. Flower bud kill begins to occur between −15 and −25 °C (5 and −13 °F), depending on the
cultivar (some are more cold-tolerant than others) and the timing of the cold, with the buds becoming less cold tolerant in late winter.
[16]
Typical peach cultivars begin bearing fruit in their third year and have a lifespan of about 12 years. Most cultivars require between 600 and 1,000 hours of chilling; cultivars with chilling requirements of 250 hours (10 days) or less have been developed enabling peach production in warmer climates. During the chilling period, key chemical reactions occur before the plant begins to grow again. Once the chilling period is met, the plant enters the so-called quiescence period, the second type of dormancy. During quiescence, buds break and grow when sufficient warm weather favorable to growth is accumulated. Quiescence is the phase of dormancy between satisfaction of the chilling requirement and the beginning of growth.
[17]
Certain cultivars are more tender, and others can tolerate a few degrees colder. In addition, summer heat is required to mature the crop, with mean temperatures of the hottest month between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F)
[citation needed]. Another problematic issue in many peach-growing areas is spring frost. The trees tend to flower fairly early in spring. The blooms often can be damaged or killed by frosts; typically, if temperatures drop below about −4 °C (25 °F), most flowers will be killed. However, if the flowers are not fully open, they can tolerate a few degrees colder.
[citation needed]
Cultivars[edit]
There are hundreds of peach and nectarine cultivars. These are classified into two categories—the freestones and the clingstones. Freestones are those for whom the fruit flesh separates readily from the pit. Clingstones are those for whom the flesh clings tightly to the pit. Some cultivars are partially freestone and clingstone, and these are called semi-free. Freestone types are preferred for eating fresh, while clingstone for canning. The fruit flesh may be creamy white or deep yellow; the hue and shade of the color depends on the cultivar.
[18]
Peach breeding has favored cultivars with more firmness, more red color, and shorter fuzz on fruit surface. These characteristics ease shipping and supermarket sales by improving eye appeal. However, this selection process has not necessarily led to increased flavor. Peaches have short shelf life, so commercial growers typically plant a mix of different cultivars in order to have fruit to ship all season long.
[19]
- 'Duke of York'[20]
- 'Peregrine'[21]
- 'Rochester'[22]
- 'Lord Napier' (nectarine)[23]
Planting[edit]
The developmental sequence of a nectarine over a
7 1⁄2-month period, from bud formation in early winter to fruit
ripening in midsummer
Most peach trees sold by nurseries are cultivars
budded or
grafted onto a suitable
rootstock. This is done to improve predictability of the fruit quality.
Peach trees need full sun, and a layout that allows good natural air flow to assist the thermal environment for the tree. Peaches are planted in early winter. During the growth season, peach trees need a regular and reliable supply of water, with higher amounts just before harvest.
[24]
Peaches need
nitrogen rich fertilizers more than other fruit trees. Without regular fertilizer supply, peach tree leaves start turning yellow or exhibit stunted growth.
Blood meal,
bone meal, and calcium ammonium nitrate are suitable fertilizers.
The number of flowers on a peach tree are typically thinned out, because if the full number of peaches mature on a branch, they are under-sized and lacking in flavor. Fruits are thinned midway in the season by commercial growers. Fresh peaches are easily bruised, and do not store well. They are most flavorful when they ripen on the tree and eaten the day of harvest.
[24]
The peach tree can be grown in an
espalier shape. The Baldassari palmette is a palmette design created around 1950 used primarily for training peaches. In
walled gardens constructed from stone or brick, which absorb and retain solar heat and then slowly release it, raising the temperature against the wall, peaches can be grown as espaliers against south-facing walls as far north as southeast Great Britain and southern Ireland.
Interaction with fauna[edit]
- Insects
The first pest to attack the tree early in the year when other food is scarce is the earwig (
Forficula auricularia) which feeds on blossoms and young leaves at night, preventing fruiting and weakening newly planted trees. The pattern of damage is distinct from that of caterpillars later in the year, as earwigs characteristically remove semi-circles of petal and leaf tissue from the tips, rather than internally. Greasebands applied just before blossom are effective.
[25]
The larvae of such moth species as the peachtree borer (
Synanthedon exitiosa), the yellow peach moth (
Conogethes punctiferalis), the well-marked cutworm (
Abagrotis orbis),
Lyonetia prunifoliella,
Phyllonorycter hostis, the fruit tree borer (
Maroga melanostigma),
Parornix anguliferella,
Parornix finitimella,
Caloptilia zachrysa,
Phyllonorycter crataegella,
Trifurcula sinica, the Suzuki's Promolactis moth (
Promalactis suzukiella), the white-spotted tussock moth (
Orgyia thyellina), the apple leafroller (
Archips termias), the catapult moth (
Serrodes partita), the wood groundling (
Parachronistis albiceps) or the omnivorous leafroller (
Platynota stultana) are reported to feed on
P. persica.
- Mites
Diseases[edit]
Peach trees are prone to a disease called
leaf curl, which usually does not directly affect the fruit, but does reduce the crop yield by partially defoliating the tree. The fruit is very susceptible to
brown rot, or a dark reddish spot.
Storage[edit]
Peaches and nectarines are best stored at temperatures of 0°C (32°F) and high-humidity.
[18] They are highly perishable, and typically consumed or canned within two weeks of harvest.
Nectarines[edit]
White nectarines, whole and cut open
The variety
P. persica var.
nucipersica (or var.
nectarina), commonly called nectarine, has a smooth skin. It is on occasion referred to as a "shaved peach", "fuzzy-less peach", "juicy peach", or "Brazilian peach" due to its lack of fuzz or short hairs. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are regarded commercially as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and
plums, or a "peach with a plum skin", nectarines belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded nectarines are produced due to a
recessive allele, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is
dominant.
[3] Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as
bud sports.
As with peaches, nectarines can be white or yellow, and clingstone or freestone. On average, nectarines are slightly smaller and sweeter than peaches, but with much overlap.
[3] The lack of skin fuzz can make nectarine skins appear more reddish than those of peaches, contributing to the fruit's plum-like appearance. The lack of down on nectarines' skin also means their skin is more easily bruised than peaches.
The history of the nectarine is unclear; the first recorded mention in English is from 1616,
[30] but they had probably been grown much earlier within the native range of the peach in central and eastern Asia. Although one source states that nectarines were introduced into the United States by
David Fairchild of the Department of Agriculture in 1906,
[31] a number of colonial era newspaper articles make reference to nectarines being grown in the United States prior to the Revolutionary War. 28 March 1768 edition of the "New York Gazette" (p. 3), for example, mentions a farm in Jamaica, Long Island, New York, where nectarines were grown.
Peacherines[edit]
Peacherine is claimed to be a cross between a peach and a nectarine, and are marketed in Australia and New Zealand. The fruit is intermediate in appearance between a peach and a nectarine, large and brightly colored like a red peach. The flesh of the fruit is usually yellow but white varieties also exist. The Koanga Institute lists varieties that ripen in the Southern hemisphere in February and March.
[32][33]
In 1909,
Pacific Monthly mentioned peacherines in a news bulletin for California. Louise Pound, in 1920, claimed the term peacherine is an example of language stunt.
[34]
Production[edit]
Top ten peach and nectarine producers
2011 (million metric tons) |
|---|
| Country | Production
(Million MT) | Yield
(MT/hectare) |
 China | 11.50 | 15.03 |
 Italy | 1.64 | 18.5 |
 Spain | 1.34 | 16.4 |
 USA | 1.18 | 20.7 |
 Greece | 0.69 | 17.3 |
 Turkey | 0.55 | 18.6 |
 Iran | 0.5 | 10.5 |
 Chile | 0.32 | 16.6 |
 France | 0.30 | 23.4 |
 Argentina | 0.28 | 11 |
| World Total | 21.51 | 13.7 |
|---|
| Source: Food & Agriculture Organization[14] |
Important historical peach-producing areas are China, Iran, and the Mediterranean countries, such as France, Italy, Spain and Greece. More recently, the United States (where the three largest producing states are
California,
South Carolina,
[35] and
Georgia[36]), Canada (
British Columbia), and Australia (the
Riverland region) have also become important; peach growing in the
Niagara Peninsula of
Ontario, Canada, was formerly intensive, but slowed substantially in 2008 when the last fruit cannery in Canada was closed by the proprietors.
[37] Oceanic climate areas, like the
Pacific Northwestand coastline of northwestern Europe, are generally not satisfactory for growing peaches due to inadequate summer heat, though they are sometimes grown trained against south-facing walls to catch extra heat from the sun. Trees grown in a sheltered and south-facing position in the southeast of England are capable of producing both flowers and a large crop of fruit. In
Vietnam, the most famous variety of peach fruit product is grown in Mẫu Sơn commune,
Lộc Bình District,
Lạng Sơn Province.
For home gardeners, semi-dwarf (3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft)) and dwarf (2 to 3 m (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in)) varieties have been developed by grafting desirable cultivars onto dwarfing rootstock. Fruit size is not affected. Another mutation is flowering peaches, selected for ornamental display rather than fruit production.
The State of Georgia, in the U.S., has long been known as a centre for growers and consumers of peaches. Georgia is known as the "Peach State" because of the production of its peaches.
[38] In 1875, Samuel Rumph, a Georgia peach farmer, made possible and practical large-scale peach farming by inventing a
refrigerated railcar and mortised-end peach crate; these enabled farmers to ship large quantities of peaches a long distance.
[39][40]
The most productive farms for peaches and nectarines, on average, were in Austria. In comparison to world average yield of 13 metric tons per hectare, Austrian farm yields topped 40 metric tonnes per hectare for each of the years between 2006 and 2010, with highest observed average yield of 56.8 metric tonnes per hectare in 2010.
[14]
Depending on climate and cultivar, peach harvest can occur from late May into August (Northern Hemisphere); harvest from each tree lasts about a week.
Cultural significance[edit]
In this Chinese Song Dynasty painting of a bird and peach blossom, by
Emperor Huizong of Song, 11th century, the bird resembles and is most likely a type of pigeon.
Peaches are not only a popular fruit, but are symbolic in many cultural traditions, such as in art, paintings and folk tales such as
Peaches of Immortality.
Peach blossoms are highly prized in Chinese culture. The ancient Chinese believed the peach to possess more vitality than any other tree because their blossoms appear before leaves sprout. When early rulers of China visited their territories, they were preceded by sorcerers armed with peach rods to protect them from spectral evils. On New Year's Eve, local magistrates would cut peach wood branches and place them over their doors to protect against evil influences.
[41] Another author writes:
The Chinese also considered peach wood (
t'ao-fu) protective against evil spirits, who held the peach in awe. In ancient China, peach-wood bows were used to shoot arrows in every direction in an effort to dispel evil. Peach-wood slips or carved pits served as amulets to protect a person's life, safety, and health.
[42]
Peach-wood seals or figurines guarded gates and doors, and, as one Han account recites, "the buildings in the capital are made tranquil and pure; everywhere a good state of affairs prevails."
[42] Writes the author, further:
Another aid in fighting evil spirits were peach-wood wands. The Li-chi (Han period) reported that the emperor went to the funeral of a minister escorted by a sorcerer carrying a peach-wood wand to keep bad influences away. Since that time, peach-wood wands have remained an important means of exorcism in China.
[42]
Momotaro, one of Japan's most noble and semihistorical heroes, was born from within an enormous peach floating down a stream. Momotaro or "Peach Boy" went on to fight evil
oni and face many adventures.
In Korea, peaches have been cultivated from ancient times. According to
Samguk Sagi, peach trees were planted during the
Three Kingdoms of Korea period, and
Sallim gyeongje also mentions cultivation skills of peach trees. The peach is seen as the fruit of happiness, riches, honours and longevity. The rare peach with double seeds is seen as a favorable omen of a mild winter. It is one of the ten immortal plants and animals, so peaches appear in many
minhwa (folk paintings). Peaches and peach trees are believed to chase away spirits, so peaches are not placed on tables for
jesa (ancestor veneration), unlike other fruits.
[45][46]
Caravaggio's
Boy with a Basket of Fruit (1592); peach fruits are in perfect ripe condition, but peach leaf is shown with spots.
Vietnam[edit]
A Vietnamese mythic history states that, in the spring of 1789, after marching to Ngọc Hồi and then winning a great victory against invaders from the
Qing Dynasty of China, the King
Quang Trung ordered a messenger to gallop to
Phú Xuân citadel(now
Huế) and deliver a flowering peach branch to the Princess Ngọc Hân. This took place on the fifth day of the first lunar month, two days before the predicted end of the battle. The branch of peach flowers that was sent from the north to the centre of Vietnam was not only a message of victory from the King to his wife, but also the start of a new spring of peace and happiness for all the Vietnamese people. In addition, since the land of Nhật Tân had freely given that very branch of peach flowers to the King, it became the loyal garden of his dynasty.
It was by a peach tree that the protagonists of
the Tale of Kieu fell in love. And in
Vietnam, the blossoming peach flower is the signal of spring. Finally, peach
bonsaitrees are used as decoration during Vietnamese New Year (
Tết) in northern Vietnam.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir,
A still life painting of peaches
Many famous artists have painted still life with peach fruits placed in prominence. Caravaggio, Vicenzo Campi, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Henri Jean Fantin-Latour, George Forster, James Peale, Severin Roesen, Peter Paul Rubens, Van Gogh are among the many influential artists who painted peaches and peach trees in various settings.
[47][48] Scholars suggest that many compositions are symbolic, some an effort to introduce realism.
[49] For example, Tresidder claims
[50] the artists of Renaissance symbolically used peach to represent heart, and a leaf attached to the fruit as the symbol for tongue, thereby implying speaking truth from one's heart; a ripe peach was also a symbol to imply a ripe state of good health. Caravaggio paintings introduce realism by painting peach leaves that are molted, discolored or in some cases have wormholes – conditions common in modern peach cultivation.
[48]
Nutrition and research[edit]
A medium peach weighs 75 g (2.6 oz) and typically contains 30 Cal, 7 g of carbohydrate (6 g sugars and 1 g fibre), 1 g of protein, 140 mg of potassium, and 8% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C.
[51] Nectarines have a small amount more of vitamin C, provide double the vitamin A, and are a richer source of potassium than peaches.
[18]
As with many other members of the rose family, peach seeds contain
cyanogenic glycosides, including
amygdalin (note the
subgenus designation:
Amygdalus). These substances are capable of decomposing into a sugar molecule and
hydrogen cyanide gas. While peach seeds are not the most toxic within the rose family—that dubious honour going to the
bitter almond—large doses of these chemicals from any source are hazardous to human health.
In other products[edit]
A peach aroma is also a characteristic of some wines such as Saint-Amour
Beaujolais wine. It is one of the components of the aroma of
Sancerre blanc.
The odour of the synthetic chemical weapon agent
cyclosarin is also described as resembling peach.
Phenolic composition[edit]
Total phenolics in mg/100 g of fresh weight were 14–102 in white-flesh nectarines, 18–54 in yellow-flesh nectarines, 28–111 in white-flesh peaches, 21–61 in yellow-flesh peaches.
[53] The major phenolic compounds identified in peach are
chlorogenic acid, (+)-
catechin and (-)-epicatechin.
[54] Other compounds, identified by
HPLC, are
gallic acid,
neochlorogenic acid,
procyanidin B1 and
B3,
procyanidin gallates,
ellagic acid.
[55]
Peach is a color named for the pale color of the interior flesh of the peach fruit.
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