The History of Stone Fruit
Peaches, plums, and nectarines were first cultivated in ancient China. They are members of the genus Prunus, which also includes other stone fruits like cherries, almonds, and apricots.
The Peach
The peach is native to China. The earliest mentions of peaches in Chinese literature date to 1000 B.C.E., when a book of poems and songs was written describing pink peach blossoms and peach trees with ripe fruit. The fruit spread westward to Persia and Rome via caravan trade on the Silk Road in the second century B.C.E., and from Rome, throughout Europe. Once known as a “Persian apple,” its scientific name, Prunus persica, makes reference to the fruit’s travel from east to west.
Peaches were introduced to the United States by the Spanish in Florida during the 1500s. From there, they spread up the East Coast and west to the Mississippi. Several groups brought peaches to California. Spanish missionaries were first in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, Russian immigrants brought peach seeds or trees by ship to San Francisco, and during the Gold Rush, settlers in California planted peaches as well.
The Nectarine
Nectarines also originated in China, and likely arose from natural variation in peach seeds. Peach trees will sometimes produce a few nectarines, and nectarine trees a few peaches. They’re close relatives; nectarines’ scientific name is Prunus persica var. nectarine, and in fact, they’re only one gene different from peaches – it’s the gene that controls the fuzz. Nectarines have gotten their own name relatively recently; they were described historically as “fuzzless peaches.”
The Plum
Though plums arose in China just as peaches and nectarines did, most of the plums sold in the U.S. and Canada are known as Japanese plums, with the scientific name Prunus salicina. These plums are rounded in shape, with some having a small pointed tip and have a wide range of skin colors, including shades of red, black, green or purple. The first Japanese plums came to California from Japan in 1870.
European plums, with the scientific name Prunus domestica, are also grown in California. These plums are oval- or teardrop-shaped, have purple to blue skin and are smaller than Japanese plums. California’s dried prune industry is based on certain varieties of this type. Early settlers brought this plum to the United States.