Peach

Peach, common name for a deciduous orchard tree of the rose family, and for the fruit of this tree. The tree, which botanists believe is native to China, is cultivated throughout warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world. In the peach fruit, the stone is covered with a fleshy substance that is juicy, melting, and of fine flavor when matured and mellowed. The peach tree is of moderate height, more or less spreading according to variety, and, when left to itself, deep-rooted. The popular division of fruit varieties into clingstones and freestones—referring to the relative tendency of the flesh to cling to the stone—is by no means accurate. These two classes merge in different varieties, and even the same variety may be freestone and clingstone in different seasons. The hundreds of varieties of peaches grown in the United States have been classified into distinct races, each with outstanding characteristics, ripening season, and uses. The nectarine is a variety of peach.

The peach is not a long-lived tree, seldom living 30 years, and the life of a commercial orchard is usually 7 to 9 years. The principal peach-growing states are California, South Carolina, and Georgia. Peaches are shipped from Texas for the early market, and they are grown commercially in many other states. Worldwide, the principal peach-growing countries include China, Italy, and Spain.

Scientific classification: The peach belongs to the family Rosaceae. It is classified as Prunus persica.