Prunus persica var. nectarina 'Independence' (F)

RHS Plant Profile
nectarine 'Independence'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Prunus persica var. nectarina 'Independence' (F)?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
Plants for pollinators
Fruit Edible Trees

A self-fertile early to medium-late nectarine cultivar producing pink blossom in spring followed by sweet and juicy fruit with glossy, bright red skin and dark, reddish-yellow flesh. Cropping season: late July - early August

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or 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
Accepted
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

Nectarine cultivars are propagated by grafting onto a rootstock for fruit. Can also be propagated by seed, although the resulting fruit is likely to be inferior to that of the parent plant

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Edible fruit
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Train fan-trained and prune established fans in spring and summer. In milder areas and in warm sheltered situations, grow as free-standing tree and prune after harvest. Pruning is the same as that for pruning acid cherries

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