Prunus persica 'Pix-Zee' 'AMBER'® dwarf peach tree - midseason
size/type
small tree,small tree
usual height
1-1,5m
usual width
1-1,5m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
April
location
full sun
soil type
neutral to alkaline
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
5b (down to -27°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Dwarf fruit trees are sought-after plants mostly among those who don’t have a garden, just a patio or a balcony, or their garden is too small to accommodate a large fruit tree. They are usually self-fertile and grafted on slow-growing rootstocks that are happy to live in a large pot and don’t need to spread its roots in the ground.
Description of the plant:
AMBER® is a dwarf peach tree developed by Chris “Floyd” Zaiger (1926-2020) who devoted all his adult life to breeding stone fruit. He set up Zaiger’s Genetics in Modesto, California, USA, where plants are bred using hand pollination rather than using DNA manipulation. As of 2020 they patented 446 fruit tree varieties. Floyd Zaiger is also the man behind a huge success of interspecific hybrids of plums and apricots called pluots (plumcots) and apriums which nowadays seem to gain more and more popularity. AMBER® dwarf peach produces mid-sized fruit of excellent flavour and beautiful skin. It is golden orange and scarlet red outside and rich yellow inside. The flesh is very sweet, low in acidity, aromatic, and juicy. It matures in late July (C.E. climate) and can be harvested for about two weeks. It exhibits slow growth and short, stiff branches densely covered with large, pink flowers in early spring. AMBER® is self-fertile and is commonly grafted onto dwarfing rootstock Rootpac-20 (or similar) which makes it suitable for growing in large pots on balconies and patios. European patent No. 11069 was granted in 1998 same as Australian patent No. AU1142, surprisingly no US patent was applied for.
We suggest planting peach trees in open space so they can feel cold, spring breeze which will delay flowering and prevent the flowers from frost damage should they open too early. Leaf curl may be a problem but rather than chemical treatments, which do not work well anyway, we suggest feeding the tree when curled leaves appear to promote growth of new foliage. Remove and burn curled leaves to reduce further infection.
Peach trees like slightly alkaline soil, moist but well drained. Do not transplant bare-root trees in autumn, only in spring. Dwarf trees do not require pruning but rejuvenation may be done once every 10 years or so. Do it either in spring after flowering or in mid-late August after harvesting the fruit. The best yield is always from an unpruned tree which grows naturally. Hardy to about -27°C (USDA zone 5b).
Last update 01-12-2021
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