Prunus persica Melred Weeping

Prunus persica 'Melred Weeping' is a variety of flowering peach tree, which focuses on its spring flowering and weeping umbrella-shaped silhouette, it also bears fruit in summer. In April, the trailing branches are covered with large semi-double flowers in a beautiful fuchsia-pink colour, before the leaves emerge. Towards the end of July and beginning of August, this self-fertile variety produces numerous, fairly small fruits with fuzzy yellow-red skin and white, sweet and fruity flesh. To end the season, the green foliage takes on magnificent autumnal shades of fire colours before falling for the winter. With moderate growth, this beautiful variety takes up very little space, making it easy to plant in a small garden or a pot on a balcony. Hardy and very easy to grow, it requires a sunny or partially shaded location, sheltered from cold winds. Well-drained, deep, rich soil, without limestone and stagnant moisture, is ideal for its development.

Prunus persica (Peach tree) is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family, which originated in China in the Sichuan and Guizhou regions around 500 BC. It appeared in Europe in the 6th century and experienced significant development in the 19th century. From then on, numerous selections aimed at improving the fruit's taste qualities took place. The White Vine Peach, as its name indicates, was formerly cultivated in vineyards where white spots on its leaves indicated the arrival of powdery mildew and, during the grape harvest the juicy peaches refreshed the grape pickers.

The 'Melred Weeping' variety is selected for its exceptionally beautiful flowers. It is grafted onto a stem, which, depending on its length, determines the height of the plant. It has a characteristic, somewhat upright habit composed of a vertical trunk topped with a regular and trailing crown. With fairly rapid growth, this small peach tree, depending on the height of the graft point, reaches between 1.50 and 2.50 m in height and 1.60 to 2 m in width at maturity. The branches, with smooth, reddish-brown bark with orange highlights, hang downwards, giving a weeping silhouette to this small tree. The deciduous foliage consists of lanceolate, bright green leaves, 8 to 15 cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide, with crenate and wavy edges, taking on yellow-orange autumnal shades before falling. The leaves have a slight almond scent and emit a sweet fragrance. From early April, dark pink to fuchsia red flowers, 5 to 8 cm in diameter, appear solitarily before the leaves on the previous year's branches. They can be destroyed by frost from -2 to -3°C. It is a remarkably decorative flowering in spring, particularly nectar-rich. It is hardy down to -15°C, although it is susceptible to late spring frosts that damage its flowers and compromise fruiting. Self-fertile variety, not requiring other peach trees nearby for pollination, but the presence of another peach tree will improve fertility.

The harvest of the fruits takes place over the last fifteen days of July, varying depending on the regions and as they ripen. As peaches are very fragile, they are harvested carefully by hand. The fruits are consumed as soon as they are harvested. Peaches are delicious eaten fresh as soon as they are picked. They are ideal for making compotes, ice creams and sorbets, tarts, pastries and fruit salads or as accompaniments to savoury dishes with meats (duck, rabbit, chicken...) or fish (salmon, cod...). They are also perfect for making juices or fruits in syrup. Peaches are rich in water, refreshing and thirst-quenching. Their fleshy texture is very satisfying and they are low in calories, rich in potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, with a significant iron content. Their content of vitamins C and B, antioxidants, and fibres make peaches a healthy choice. They are invigorating, energising, and rehydrating. The fruits can be stored for a week in a cool place, protected from light.

The Melred Weeping Peach Tree can withstand pruning well, which allows it to be contained in a desired size and generate new, fresher branches carrying new flowers. It adapts to all types of well-drained soils and prefers a sunny location. It can be planted as a standalone tree to fully appreciate its weeping form or in association with other flowering Prunus trees such as: the Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) with pink flowers and red fruits, the Flowering Almond (Prunus triloba) with pompon-like pink flowers, the Dwarf Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus incisa Kojo no mai) with pale pink flowers and red autumn foliage... The choice is vast, and each of them can enhance the garden with colourful flowers in spring. Undemanding and easy to grow, it requires almost no care and will reward you with beautiful flowering branches that can be used in bouquets.