Delaware State Flower

Peach Blossom (common name)
Prunus persica (scientific name)

Overview

With 800,000 peach trees in the state, Delaware is one of the largest growers of peaches in the country. The peach blossom was adopted as the state's official floral emblem on May 9, 1895, and in 1953, it was declared the state flower after lobbying by farmers. In 2009 the peach pie was also designated the state dessert in recognition of the tree’s historical importance.

Close-up

STATUS

Official

PHYSICAL DETAILS

Duration: Perennial
Plant: Tree
Mature Height: up to 25 ft (8 m)
Flowering: April
Flowers: 1 inch (2.5–3 cm) in diameter with five petals in pairs or solitary blooms
Flower Color: light pink, carmine, purple, bi-color
Leaves: green, pointed, oval-shaped; 4 inches (10 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide
Fruit/Seed Color: A fleshy gold and red fruit 3 inches (8 cm) or more in diameter with a large, hard oval pit

HABITAT

Location: grows in full or partial sunlight in areas of a range of soils from sand to clay
Range: found in temperate climates worldwide

TRIVIA

• The peach is believed to have originated in China and to have been introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region via the ancient Silk Route. Its scientific name translates as "Persian plum" based on the mistaken belief that it originated in Persia.
• Delaware led the world in peach production by 1875, and peaches became such a dominant agricultural product in the state that in the late 1800s peach tree blights led to widespread farm bankruptcies.

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Peach Blossom

Peach Orchard

Close-up of Peach Blossom Flower

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:	Plantae
Phylum:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Amygdalus
Species:	P. persica

Author: World Trade Press