Flordacrest Peach Tree

Enjoy a Compact Fruit Tree & Low Chill Hours With the Flordacrest Peach Tree

A Low-Maintenance Fruit Tree Choice That’s Disease-Resistant & Hardy

• Requires only 350 chill hours, making it one of the more accessible peach varieties for growers in the South
• Compact size tops out at 12 to 15 ft. tall and wide; well-suited for backyard orchards and large containers
• Hardy in USDA Zones 6–10; developed by the University of Florida for southern growing conditions
• Sweet, red-skinned peaches with bright yellow flesh ripen in mid-May; developed specifically for warm-climate performance
• Semi-clingstone fruit with a long shelf life and good disease resistance; flowers begin in February

Most peach varieties were bred for climates with cold winters and reliable chill hours. The Flordacrest (Prunus persica 'Flordacrest') took a different path. Developed by the University of Florida specifically for the warm, humid conditions of the South, it requires only 350 chill hours, a threshold that much of the region clears comfortably, and produces genuinely delicious fruit in return. The peaches have rich red skin over bright yellow flesh with a sweet, juicy flavor that home-grown fruit delivers in a way store-bought simply can't match. If you've assumed that growing peaches in the South was more trouble than it was worth, Flordacrest is the variety that might change your mind.The cross-pollination from this tree is excellent for other peaches, plum, and nectarine trees.

Fun Gardening Fact: Peaches and nectarines are the same species. Nectarines are commonly referred to as different. This is because of the absence of 1 gene that causes the loss of the fruit-skin trichomes that make it fuzz-less.

What Makes the Flordacrest Peach Tree a Top Pick?

Compact Enough for Typical Backyard Spaces: Topping out at 12 to 15 feet tall and wide with proper pruning, Flordacrest fits comfortably into the scale of a home garden or small orchard. For gardeners working with limited ground space, it also performs well in large containers as well!

Perfect for Southern Gardeners: A lot of fruit trees technically survive in warm climates without truly thriving there. Flordacrest was purpose-bred for the conditions of the southeastern United States by the University of Florida. 

A Natural Cross-Pollinator: Beyond its own production, Flordacrest is an excellent cross-pollinator for other peach, plum, and nectarine trees. If you're building out a backyard orchard with multiple stone fruit varieties, adding a Flordacrest to the mix can improve the overall fruit set across the planting.

Fruit Worth Growing: The peaches are medium to large with striking red skin and bright yellow flesh that's sweet, juicy, and noticeably better than what you'll find at the grocery store. The semi-clingstone flesh holds firmly to the pit, which gives the fruit a firmer texture and a longer shelf life than fully freestone varieties.

Disease Resistant and Low-Maintenance: Flordacrest carries solid disease resistance, which reduces the management burden considerably compared to more susceptible varieties. 

How to Grow a Flordacrest Peach Tree

• Plant in full sun with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct light daily; sun drives fruit development, sugar content, and overall tree vigor
• Prefers well-drained, sandy loam soil; good drainage is essential to long-term root health and disease resistance
• Water thoroughly at planting and consistently through the first full growing season to establish a strong, deep root system.
• Mulch around the base to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature, keeping mulch pulled back slightly from the trunk.
• Prune annually during dormancy to remove dead or diseased wood, open up the canopy for airflow and light penetration, and keep the tree at a manageable, harvestable height.

Thin out developing fruit when clusters are heavy to improve the size and quality of the remaining peaches. For container-growing in hotter climates, move the tree to partial shade during peak summer heat.

Why Fruit Gardeners Trust Perfect Plants Nursery

When you buy fruit trees online it's always better to purchase directly from the grower. Our family farm has been in operation since 1980, and we thrive on delivering high quality fruiting plants straight to your door.

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