Flowering Peach

Flowering Peach 'Klara Mayer' (Prunus persica 'Klara Mayer') is a small deciduous tree grown for one heavy fortnight in early spring, when every bare branch loads up with double pink blossom. It settles at about 4m tall and 3m wide, well inside the scale of a suburban front garden. The flowers open before the leaves do, so nothing competes with them.

Why you'll love it

• Double pink blossom on bare wood. Each flower carries dozens of soft rose petals, and the display holds for two to three weeks.
• It fits a real garden. At roughly 4m by 3m it suits a front lawn, a courtyard corner or a driveway line without shading the block.
• Tough once it is away. Frost hardy, heat tolerant and drought tolerant after two seasons, so cold winters and dry summers pass without drama.
• Early food for bees and butterflies. The blossom opens when little else is flowering, useful near fruit trees or a vegetable bed.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One tree in lawn, or set against a dark evergreen backdrop, shows the blossom best. Allow 3m of clear space for the canopy.

Driveways and avenues. Planted 4m to 5m apart it reads as a spring avenue, then lets winter sun through once the leaves drop.

Small gardens and pots. A pot 500mm or wider holds it near 2.5m. Potted deciduous trees dry out fast, so plan on watering every second day in a heatwave.

Growing Flowering Peach in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, with shelter from wind that would strip the petals early. This is a tree for warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it needs real winter chill to bud up. Southern and tableland gardens flower it heavily; the humid subtropics rarely do.

Soil. Drainage matters more than richness. Peaches will not sit in wet ground, so on clay raise the bed 300mm and work compost through it.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then only in long dry spells. Feed a complete fertiliser as the buds swell in late winter, and keep 75mm of mulch clear of the trunk.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering, not in winter, because next season's flowers form on this year's new growth. Shortening the flowered wood by a third keeps the head compact and the display dense.

What to expect when it arrives

We supply this one in a single size, a 45L pot: an established tree with a formed head rather than a young whip. Delivered in the cooler months it arrives bare or barely budded, which is normal for a deciduous tree and not a fault.

Expect 30 to 50cm of growth a year once the roots are away, and a proper display in its first full spring. Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the season in our flowering trees collection.
• See what else bares off in deciduous trees.
• Planning a row? Read about choosing trees for a driveway.
• Browse more options sized for small gardens.

Common questions

Does it produce edible peaches?

Very little, and what sets is small and dry. The double flowers largely lack the working parts for a crop, so treat any fruit as a curiosity.

Will it flower in a warm subtropical garden?

Not reliably. Without a cold enough winter the buds break unevenly and the display is thin. Gardeners north of the temperate zones do better with a flowering tree that needs no chill.

How long does the blossom last?

Two to three weeks in a mild spring. Hot or windy days cut it short, which is why a sheltered position earns its keep.

Is it a messy tree?

A week of petal drop, then leaf drop in autumn. Both rake up easily, but it is not the tree for directly over a pool.