Prunus persica var. nectarina (F)

Synonyms

Prunus persica var. nucipersica
Prunus nucipersica

Trees Fruit Edible

Nectarines produce attractive pink blossom in spring that is followed by yellow-red, smooth skinned fruit in mid-summer. Many cultivated nectarines have been derived from this variety.

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 2.5-4 metres
Max Height: 4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name Status: Unresolved
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist, but well-drained soil in full sun. Protect flowers from frosts with biodegradable horticultural fleece. Best grown fan-trained, although in the south of England can be grown free-standing bush. See How to grow: Nectarines

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers outdoors in autumn; or by softwood cuttings, with bottom heat, in early summer. Nectarine cultivars are propagated by grafting

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Edible fruit
Wall side borders

Pruning

In milder areas, and in warm sheltered situations may be grown as a free-standing tree, but generally best grown as a fan. Prune after harvest, see Fan trained trees and Pruning established fans. Trees grown for ornamental purposes need little pruning: Pruning group 1.

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, aphids, and scale may be problematic, especially on wall-trained specimens or those grown in a glasshouse. Squirrels and birds may damage fruit

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, bacterial canker, silver leaf, brown rot and replant diseases may cause problems. Late frosts can damage the blossom