Japanese name: モモ（桃） Scientific name:Amygdalus persica
[Overview]
A small deciduous tree.
Leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic-lanceolate and about 8–15 cm long, with coarse serrations on the margin.
The petiole is 1–1.5 cm long, and there are glandular dots at the base of the leaf.
Flowers are usually solitary.
They are usually 5-petaled, but some cultivars are double, and the flower color varies among white, pink and red.
They often bloom before the leaves unfold, and flowering peaches are displayed for the Peach Festival on March 3.
The fruit of cultivars grown as fruit trees is large and subglobose with a protruding tip, and the flesh is soft and juicy.
The surface of the fruit is covered with hairs.
[History]
Like the Ume, it came from China in ancient times, and its name appears in the Kojiki and the Man'yoshu.
[Cultivation]
It prefers well-drained, sunny land with deep, workable soil.
Propagate by grafting, using cleft grafting in March or bud grafting in August–September.
Pests and diseases are very numerous, and care is needed.
