Desert Peach, Prunus andersonii

About Desert Peach (Prunus andersonii) 12 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Prunus andersonii is a species of shrub in the rose family, part of the same genus as the peach, cherry, and almond. Its common names include desert peach and desert almond. It is native to eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows in forests and scrub in desert and mountains. Prunus andersonii is a shrub approaching two meters (80 inches) in height, its tangling branches narrowing to spiny-tipped twigs. Serrated, lance-shaped to oval leaves occur in clusters, each leaf measuring up to 3 centimeters (1. 2 inches) long. The shrub is deciduous. The inflorescence is a solitary flower or pair of flowers. Each flower has usually five concave pink petals each just under a centimeter (0. 4 inches) long, with many whiskerlike stamens at the center. Flowers bloom before or at the same time as the leaves appear. The fruit is a fuzzy reddish-orange drupe around a centimeter (0. 4 inches) wide. The fruits are fleshy in years with ample moisture, and dry in drought years. The seed is a heart-shaped stone. The plant reproduces sexually via germination of the seed, and vegetatively by sprouting from its rhizome. One plant may sprout and resprout from its rhizomes to form a very large clone which can spread over several acres.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

Size

3.5 - 7 ft tall

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

Pink

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 2 confirmed

, 119 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma californicaMalacosoma californica

Tetracis formosaTetracis formosa

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

California Hairstreak Satyrium californicaSatyrium californica

Two-Tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudataPapilio multicaudata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Low

Nurseries

Carried by 12

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Crack bony endocarp; or soak 2-3 days in water (changing wa ter 1-2 times per day is beneficial) at room temperature for equally good results; then 2-2l/2 mos. stratification.

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3*, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15, 16, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22, 23

Natural Setting

Site Type

Sandy flats, desert washes

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 2.5" - 67.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.37" - 3.17", Coldest Month: 22.2" - 59.8", Hottest Month: 42.3" - 89.5", Humidity: 0.95" - 47.01", Elevation: 82" - 11787"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Desert Almond

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Desert Peach

Prunus andersonii

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Desert PeachPrunus andersonii

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Desert Peach

Prunus andersonii