Alboplena Peach

Alboplena Peach (Prunus persica 'Alboplena') is a flowering peach grown for the show rather than the fruit. In early spring the bare branches load with double white blooms, thick enough to hide the wood, on a tree that settles at about 4m tall and 3m wide. The roots are non invasive, so it can sit near a driveway or a path without lifting it.

Why you'll love it

• A fortnight that stops people. Fully double white flowers open before the leaves, so the whole tree reads as blossom rather than foliage.
• The right size for a small garden. At 4m by 3m it gives you a real tree without taking over the yard.
• Safe near hard surfaces. Non invasive roots mean you can plant it beside paving, a driveway or a boundary fence.
• Autumn colour to finish. The leaves turn before dropping, and the bare branching structure carries the garden through winter.
• Early food for bees. One of the first things flowering in a cold garden.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give it an open position where the spring display can be seen from the house, ideally against a dark evergreen backdrop.

Small gardens and courtyards. The modest canopy and well behaved roots make it one of the safer trees for a compact block.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 4m to 5m apart for a repeating row. Any closer and the canopies crowd each other, which spoils the vase shaped habit.

Growing Alboplena Peach in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with shelter from strong wind while the blossom is out. It needs winter chill to flower well, so cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens are where it performs. In subtropical and tropical districts the flowering is thin and unreliable.

Soil. Drainage above all. Ornamental peaches resent wet feet, so on clay plant on a raised mound with compost worked through the bed, and avoid a low spot that holds water after rain.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, after which it is drought tolerant. Feed a complete fertiliser as the buds swell in late winter, and mulch 75mm deep kept clear of the trunk.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering, never in autumn or winter, so you keep the wood that carries next year's buds. Thin any crossing branches, shorten long shoots by a third, and keep the cuts clean to reduce the risk of gummosis.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow this one in a 400mm pot, which arrives as an established young tree with a formed head and real height, not a bare whip. If it reaches you in autumn or winter it will have no leaves, which is normal for a deciduous tree and the best time to plant.

Expect it to settle for a season and then push growth, with a proper flowering display from the second 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

• Compare flowering trees for the garden
• Trees with non invasive roots
• Small trees for urban blocks
• When to plant a tree in Australia

Common questions

Does it produce edible peaches?

No. This is an ornamental selection bred for double flowers, and doubled blooms rarely set fruit. Any that does form is small and hard.

Will it flower in a warm climate?

It needs a cold winter to set buds properly. Cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens give a full display, while subtropical gardens give a patchy one at best.

When should I prune it?

Immediately after the flowers finish in spring. Pruning later removes the wood that will carry next season's blossom, which is the most common reason a flowering peach disappoints.

How long does the flowering last?

Roughly two to three weeks, depending on the season. Cool, still weather stretches it out, and a hot windy spell cuts it short.