Peacharine Tree

Peacharine Tree (Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Peacharine') is a cross between a peach and a nectarine, a deciduous fruit tree that grows 3 to 4m high and about 3.5m wide. The fruit is large, with smooth to very lightly fuzzed red and yellow skin and yellow freestone flesh, and it ripens from mid to late summer.

Why you'll love it

• Peach size, nectarine skin. The fruit is large like a peach, with skin that is smooth or carries only the faintest fuzz.
• Yellow freestone flesh. The stone comes away cleanly, so it is easy to eat fresh, slice or bottle.
• Self-fertile. One tree is all you need for a crop.
• Something different. It is a talking point in a home orchard and a good choice when you cannot decide between a peach and a nectarine.
• Pink blossom. The bare branches flower at the end of winter, before the leaves.

Where it works best

Backyard fruit tree. Plant in a sunny, open spot with 3.5 to 4m of space.

Home orchard. Space trees 4m apart alongside other stone fruit to spread the harvest.

Trained on a fence. Fan-train it on wires on a sunny fence to save ground and make netting easy.

Growing Peacharine in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun with shelter from strong wind. Peacharine grows and crops best in cool temperate and warm temperate gardens, and in Mediterranean climates with summer watering. Like most stone fruit it needs a cool winter to set a good crop. The tree is frost hardy, though late frost can catch open blossom.

Soil. Well-drained soil enriched with compost is best. Nectarines dislike waterlogged roots, so plant on a mound in clay.

Water and feed. Water deeply each week from flowering to harvest, as uneven watering leads to small or split fruit. Feed with a complete fruit tree fertiliser in early spring and again after harvest, and mulch well.

Pruning. Prune in winter to an open vase shape. Nectarines fruit on wood grown the previous summer, so cut out some older wood each year to keep new shoots coming. Spray with copper at bud swell in late winter to prevent peach leaf curl, thin heavy crops so the remaining fruit sizes up, and net or bag the fruit where fruit fly is active. Care is the same as for any nectarine.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Peacharine as single trees in 300mm pots. It is deciduous, so a tree sent in winter arrives bare and one sent in the growing season arrives in leaf. Grafted trees like this crop sooner than seedlings. Plant at the same depth as the pot, water in well and mulch. Our growers do not hold every size all year, so a size can show as on backorder at times. An order for a backorder size is confirmed with you before anything ships.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Fruit trees
• More edible plants
• Deciduous trees for the garden
• Planting tips for fruit trees in every season

Common questions

What does a peacharine taste like?

Much like a yellow-fleshed nectarine with the size of a peach. The skin is smooth or only very lightly fuzzed, so most people eat it unpeeled.

Does it need a pollinator?

No. Peacharine is self-fertile and a single tree will fruit.

Does it get peach leaf curl?

Yes, like all peaches and nectarines. A copper spray at bud swell in late winter, before the buds open, prevents it.