I love plant swaps and go to them often. I really do not need any more plants in my garden, but I enjoy the fun of finding unusual plants that I would never think to buy. One of my best finds ever was a tiny little tree in a coffee can labelled "Dwarf Peach Tree." I think now that its botanical name might be Prunus persica, a dwarf ornamental peach, which does not grow more than 5 feet tall.
It blooms in early April and has such pretty little dark pink blossoms. The tree has a rounded shape and there is some dark red color on the reverse of its slender green leaves. It stands at one corner of my back deck, in full sun and has some perennials growing around its feet.
The only drawback is that late in the summer it produces hard little peaches that I have never had the chance to taste, as they are always knocked off the branches by wild animals that stand on the deck railing. The tree's location is perfect for access by animals. So far, I have had possums (preferred since they eat ticks), raccoons, and skunks that I have actually seen at night from my upstairs bedroom window. There are lights on my deck, so I can watch as they batt the fruit off. Since the tree only produces a few tiny fruits, the animal problem is short- lived and I still love my little peach of a tree.
This is Moya Andrews, and today we focused on a dwarf peach.
