🍎 Peach Tree
Prunus persica
fruits deciduous fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate; excellent drainage critical — peach roots rot in standing water
🗺️ Zones
5–9
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained sandy loam
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–7.0 (slightly acidic)
📏 Spacing
15-20 ft apart (standard); 10-15 ft (dwarf); 20-25 ft between rows
📅 Days to Maturity
3-4 years (from planting); bears fruit 1-2 years after establishment
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Garlic / Chives / Onions
Repel peach tree borers and aphids; antifungal properties reduce peach leaf curl; garlic planted in fall deters borer moths
Aphid trap crop; groundcover; squash bugs and whiteflies also drawn away from tree
Repels peach tree borers, Japanese beetles, and ants tending aphid colonies
Potassium accumulation for fruit quality; pollinator attractor; living mulch
🤝 Clover
Nitrogen source; bee forage for pollination; soil cover
Attracts predatory insects that feed on peach pests; copper and phosphorus accumulator
🤝 Marigold
Nematode suppression — peach trees susceptible to root-knot nematodes
Asparagus roots exude compounds toxic to nematodes; asparagus beetle doesn't target peach; complementary root depths
⚠️ Keep Apart (5)
⚠️ Plum / Cherry / Apricot (other Prunus spp.)
Shared pest and disease complexes — brown rot, peach tree borer, cytospora canker all cross-infect
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone toxicity — peaches very sensitive; rapid decline within root zone
⚠️ Potatoes / Tomatoes
Shared verticillium wilt and blight susceptibility; also host peach tree borer alternate food sources
⚠️ Raspberry / Blackberry
Shared verticillium wilt; pest crossover including Japanese beetles
⚠️ Grass
Peach roots are shallow and competitive; grass reduces growth significantly
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains high beta-carotene, chlorogenic acid, and phenolic acids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Traditional Chinese Medicine: fruit for digestive health and as a cooling food; kernels (tao ren) for blood stasis, menstrual pain, and constipation; leaf tea for cough and bronchitis; bark as astringent. CAUTION: kernels contain amygdalin (cyanogenic glycoside) — limited medicinal use only. Fruit is very safe.