Peach

Who doesn’t love the rich, sweet flavor of peaches (and nectarines— the same fruit without the fuzz)? They are a temperate-climate fruit not very well-adapted to our subtropical climate, but Florida researchers have developed special varieties that do fairly well here. The fruit has fine flavor, though it tends to be smaller than its northern cousins.

Because peaches are a favorite of birds, and also are subject to Caribbean fruit fly, we generally use protective bags on the fruits. The trees are vigorous-growing, requiring knowledgeable pruning, and short-lived in Florida, usually lasting only ten to fifteen years.

We only maintain two peach trees, SW-B-1 and SW-K-3, and a nectarine, SE-C-2. SW-K-3 brought its first fruit to market in May, 2018.