Double Jewel Peach

Double Jewel Peach (Prunus persica 'Double Jewel') gives you the display of an ornamental peach and a crop of edible fruit from the same tree, which most ornamental peaches cannot do. It reaches about 3.5m tall and 3m wide, so it fits a small garden or a large pot. Spring opens with double pink and red blossom on bare wood, and fruit follows through summer.

Why you'll love it

• Blossom and fruit from one tree. Full double flowers first, then edible peaches, where most ornamental varieties give you only the show.
• Small garden scale. At 3.5m by 3m it suits a courtyard, a front garden or a large container.
• Roots that behave. Non invasive roots mean it can be planted near paths, paving and services without concern.
• Hardy at both ends of the year. Frost hardy through winter and heat tolerant through summer, which suits the swing of an inland season.

Where it works best

Feature planting. In spring it is the loudest thing in the garden, so give it an open position where the blossom is seen from the house rather than tucked down the side.

Small gardens and pots. A container 500mm or wider will hold it, and pot growing keeps it closer to 2m. Be honest about the watering first, because potted stone fruit dries out fast in summer.

Growing Double Jewel Peach in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours or more. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, where winter chill sets the flower buds. In subtropical and tropical gardens it will grow but flowers and fruits poorly, because the winter is too mild.

Soil. Deep, free draining soil with compost worked through the backfill. Peaches will not tolerate waterlogging, so raise the bed on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, and keep it consistent while fruit is sizing. Complete fertiliser in late winter and again after harvest.

Pruning. Prune in summer once the fruit is picked, not in winter, to reduce disease risk. Peaches carry fruit on last season's wood, so remove older stems each year to keep new growth coming.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one size, a 45L pot. That is an established young tree with a formed branch framework rather than a bare whip, and a tree at that size will usually flower in its first spring in the ground and carry fruit within a season or two.

It is deciduous, so a tree delivered through winter arrives bare, with no leaves at all. That is normal and it will shoot in spring. Plants 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

• Read our guide to planting fruit trees for every season.
• Compare the wider fruit tree range.
• Browse other flowering trees for spring colour.
• See more plants suited to small gardens.

Common questions

Do I need a second tree to get fruit?

No. Peaches are self fertile, so a single tree will set a crop on its own. A nearby second tree does no harm, but it is not required.

Will it fruit in a warm climate?

Only where winter is cool enough. This tree needs genuine winter chill to set buds properly, so it performs in temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and disappoints in the subtropics and tropics.

Is it safe around pets?

The ripe flesh is edible, but the leaves and the stones inside the fruit contain compounds that are toxic to dogs and cats if chewed. Pick up dropped fruit if your dog scavenges under trees.