Peach

The peach is a deciduous fruit tree in the rose family, most closely related to cherries, apricots, almonds and plums within the genus Prunus. Fuzzy skinned peaches and smooth skinned nectarines belong to the same species and are distinguished only by their skin texture. The tree originated in China, where it was domesticated during the Neolithic period, and its scientific name reflects its long history of cultivation in Persia, from where it spread to Europe. Peaches rarely live past twenty years and are grown both for their fruit and for their ornamental spring flowers, with China producing about two thirds of the world's peaches and nectarines as of 2023.