Nectarine

Fruit of Prunus pérsica var. Nectarine. This tree is derived from the spontaneous mutation of the common peach tree, and the only differential characters are in the skin of the fruit, which is smooth rather than velvety like that of the peach.

The fruit is a drupe (membranous pericarp, pulpy mesocarp, woody endocarp), more or less spherical and similar in size to a peach. The skin is smooth, the taste of the flesh is intense, and the stone is unattached to the pulp as in the peach. The nectarine tree is similar to the peach tree, but differs in that it is smaller with smoother-skinned, shinier fruit.

Tasting notes

Sweetness and freshness, similar to the peach ones.


Other notes

Nectarines have an attractive smooth skin with bright red coloring on a yellow or orange base. The flesh is firm and may be white or yellow depending on the variety.


Geography / Relief and climate

These fruit trees typically grow in low-lying areas from sea level to an altitude of 300 meters. Unlike some varieties of peach tree they do not require a long winter repose, although they prefer climates with short, mild winters and long, dry summers given their sensitivity to damp, which may favor the development of disease and the loss of fruit through cracking.