Peach Trees

Now, wouldn’t you love to bite into a juicy and ripe peach fruit! Peach trees are native to China and the fruit of the peach tree is a favorite with everybody; peaches are extremely delicious and juicy fruits and are used in a variety of recipes as well. Peach trees are also botanically known as the Prunus persica.

Interesting facts about Peach Trees:
As mentioned before, peaches have originated in China. These were grown in the Northern areas in the early years. Although the scientific name suggest that peaches originated from Persia, there is a different story altogether for the origins of peach trees. Some of the wild peaches such as Maotao or the Yietao are still grown in some of the really remote areas of China. Peaches soon became a symbol of fertility in China and also a way of showing one’s affection. This is probably why brides in China carry peach blossoms.

The Romans named the peaches as the Persian Apples. This happened once the ripe peaches traveled out of China and the Romans probably named them after the country that brought the peaches to the West. The easiest way to increase the cultivation of the peach trees was by transporting the seeds of the peach plant. These soon were seen in America during the American Revolution. The popularity of the peach trees because of the juicy peaches grew to such an extent that it even found a place in the ships that belonged to the Spanish explorers. Peaches even derived feminine names in France. All the varieties of the peaches were fondly given different names. This could probably be due to the fact that peaches were associated with females solely due to the beauty factor. Such was the popularity of the peach trees that Georgia was named the Peach State because of the successful cultivation of the peach trees which resulted in an abundance of the peach fruit as well.

The peach trees are deciduous trees and belong to the sub family of Prunoideae. The term deciduous is used to refer to trees that lose their leaves occasionally or seasonally. It also has a tendency to drop those parts that are not needed; this happens when the main objective of that particular part of the tree has been accomplished. Peach trees grow to a height of about 5-10 m. The leaves of the peach trees are around 7-15 cms in length and are lanceolate. This term is used to describe the shape of the leaves. The leaves are wider in the middle area. The peach trees have the blossoming of flowers in early spring. The flowers of the peach trees grow either single or in pairs. These are around 2.5 to 3 cms in diameter and are pink in color. The flowers have five petals.

The fruits of the peach trees have an outer fleshy part. This surrounds a shell of an endocarp, which contains the seed. This seed is oval in shape and is around 1.5-2 cm in length. The scientific term for this variety is known as drupe. The yellowish or white flesh of the peach fruit has a pleasing aroma. The peach fruit that has white flesh is generally very sweet to taste as compared to peach fruits that have yellow flesh. Peaches with yellow flesh have a slight acidic tang to it. Such cultivated peaches are known as the freestone and the clingstone varieties. This variety also depends on the fact if the flesh sticks to the stone.

Care for the Peaches: Tips
Always handle the peaches very carefully. The flesh of the peach fruit is such that is tends to get bruised easily. If you plan to store the peaches for later use, ensure that the ripened peaches are refrigerated immediately. When storing the peaches, keep them at a room temperature of 32-35 degrees F. When you are using peaches for recipes, always handle them gently. Before peeling the peach, place it in boiling water for at least 30 seconds. This will help the peel to slide off easily.