Prunus persica seed

LATIN NAME: PRUNUS PERSICA

COMMON NAME: Peach, Common Peach

The Prunus persica, or peach, is one of the most beloved and widely grown of the orchard fruits, and its pink, spring flowers and its soft, sweet, juicy fruits have made it a favourite of the orchards and the gardens across the warm and the temperate world. It grows as a small, deciduous tree of the rose family, reaching up to eight metres or more, with a smooth, reddish-brown bark and the spreading branches, bearing alternate, lance-shaped, toothed, bright-green leaves and, in the early spring before the leaves, the masses of the pink, five-petalled flowers, followed in the summer by the soft, fuzzy, round, sweet fruits with the large, hard stone at the centre. It is a species of the flowering tree, native to the warm regions of China, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years, while it has been introduced across the world, and it is known as the peach or the common peach.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The peach has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the horticulture and the crop science, since the peach is one of the most widely grown of the orchard fruits, and the researchers and the breeders have examined its many forms, its breeding and its cultivation, while the study of the stone fruits and their growing has drawn attention in the international horticultural and agricultural press. The plant has also been studied in the genetics and the plant science, since the peach was one of the first fruit trees to have its genome sequenced, and the researchers have examined its genetics, its relationships and its disease resistance, while the study of the fruit tree genomes has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in the nutrition and the food science, since the peach is rich in the vitamins, the minerals and the antioxidants, and the researchers have examined the fruits, their constituents and their value in the kitchen, while the pink flowers and the sweet fruits of the peach have been of interest to the botanists and the growers. For a fruit of such sweetness, the peach has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Peach from seed, the peach is a small, deciduous tree of the orchards and the gardens, bearing the pink, five-petalled flowers in the early spring and the soft, fuzzy, sweet fruits in the summer. Its early flowers feed the bees and the pollinating insects, and its spreading habit gives a fine presence in the orchard and the garden, while its sweet fruits are a favourite food of the humans and the wildlife. Its economic value is real and great: the peach is prized as one of the most delicious of the summer fruits, and its value has drawn attention in the international food and horticultural press, while the sweet, juicy flavour has made it a favourite of the orchards and the markets, and the tree is a fine addition to the orchard, the garden and the warm landscape. To raise the peach, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a cool, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the sun.

sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a cool, bright place, keep the young peach gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the sun.

Prunus persica: The Peach Tree (Prunus persica) is a deciduous fruiting tree growing to 15 to 25 feet tall, belonging to the Rosaceae family. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach. It is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus within the genus Prunus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. Although its botanical name Prunus persica suggests the peach is native to Persia after the Persians introduced the fruit into the Western world, peaches actually originated in China, where they have been cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture. Peaches were mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as the 10th century BC and were a favored fruit of kings and emperors.   The flowers of the Peach are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 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) depending on the cultivar. 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 and is surrounded by a wood-like husk. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes).   Peach plants grow well in a fairly limited range. They have a chilling requirement that tropical areas cannot satisfy. The trees themselves can usually tolerate temperatures to around -15 to -22 °F, although the following seasons flower buds can be killed at these temperatures, leading to no crop that summer. Certain cultivars are more tender, and others can tolerate a few degrees colder. In addition, intense summer heat is required to mature the crop, with mean temperatures of the hottest month between 68 and 86 °F. 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 freezes; typically, if temperatures drop below about 25 °F, most flowers will be killed. However, if the flowers are not fully open, they can tolerate a few degrees colder. Depending on climate and cultivar, peach harvest can occur from late May into August (Northern Hemisphere). Harvest from each tree lasts about a week.   Peaches should be located in full sun and with good air flow to allow cold air to flow away on frosty nights and keep the area cool in summer. Peaches are best planted in early winter, as this allows time for the roots to establish and to sustain the new spring growth.   Leaf: Alternate, simple, lanceolate, serrated, 3 to 6 inches long, often curved along midrib, shiny dark green above, paler below. Flower: White, pink to lavender, 1 inch across, solitary but often close together, appearing in early spring. Fruit: Fuzzy drupe, 3 inches across, yellow and red, hard, ribbed pit inside encloses the seed, very delicious and juicy, ripens in midsummer. Twig: New growth is red and green, later turns gray-brown, buds are blunt and gray fuzzy, spur shoots present. Bark: Dark gray, initially smooth with elongated lenticels, later splits and becomes irregularly scaly. Form: A small tree up to 15 to 25 feet with a spreading crown.