Peach Cultivars

Main article: Peach (fruit) § Varieties

Hundreds of peach and nectarine cultivars are known. These are classified into two
categories—freestones and clingstones. Freestones are those whose flesh separates
readily from the pit. Clingstones are those whose flesh clings tightly to the pit.
Some cultivars are partially freestone and clingstone, so are called semifree.
Freestone types are preferred for eating fresh, while clingstone types are for
canning. The fruit flesh may be creamy white to deep yellow; the hue and shade of
the color depend on the cultivar.[28]

Peach breeding has favored cultivars with more firmness, more red color, and
shorter fuzz on the fruit surface. These characteristics ease shipping and
supermarket sales by improving eye appeal. However, this selection process has not
necessarily led to increased flavor. Peaches have a short shelf life, so commercial
growers typically plant a mix of different cultivars to have fruit to ship all
season long.[29]

Different countries have different cultivars. In the United Kingdom, for example,
these cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden
Merit:

'Duke of York'[30]
'Peregrine'[31]
'Rochester'[32]
'Lord Napier' (nectarine)[33]

Nectarines
White nectarines, whole and cut open

The variety P. persica var. nucipersica (or var. nectarina), commonly called
nectarine, has a smooth skin. It is on occasion referred to as a "shaved peach" or
"fuzzless peach", due to its lack of fuzz or short hairs.