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Desert Peach
Scientific Name:
Prunus andersonii
Type:
Shrub
Habitat:
Dry, rocky slopes most often with sagebrush or in pinyon-juniper woodland
Range:
Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Desert peaches are shrubs in the rose family that grow up to 6 feet tall. They have spines on the ends of their branches and small, pointed, alternating leaves that are often bundled. Desert peaches have pink flowers that bloom from March to May and produce small, peach-like fruit.
Fast Facts:
Desert peaches need to be exposed to cold temperatures for around 4 weeks for their seeds to germinate, a process known as stratification.
Desert peach flowers are pollinated by many different types of insects.
Seeds of desert peach fruit are heart-shaped, as are their fruits. Desert peach fruit has been considered a delicious delicacy.
Desert peach leaves can be used to obtain a green dye.
Sources:
Hugh N. Monzingo, Shrubs of the Great Basin, A Natural History, 1987, book.
Plants For A Future, Prunus andersonii, 2021, https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Prunus+andersonii
Truckee River Guide, Desert Peach, 2021, https://truckeeriverguide.org/species/desert-peach/
IUCN Red List, Desert Peach, 2016, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/50049394/50626781
Contributor(s):
Haley McGuire (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)