Yellow Melting Flesh Peach Descriptions
Summary by Dr. Bill Shane
SW Michigan Research and Extension Center
Michigan State University
updated July 17, 2002

Entry (click on name to see picture)	harvest rel to RH*	description
Harbinger	-33	Introduced in 1971, 80% mottled red over yellow-green ground, clingstone, yellow flesh, melting, 2" to 2 1/4", good flavor, hardy, often with split pits
PF-1	-30	Cardinal X Garnet Beauty, 2" 1/4 to 2 1/2", 80+% red skin, non-browning, few split pits most years sometimes splits are a problem, clingstone, good resistance to bacterial spot, mild flavor
Harrow Diamond	-25	round, medium sized, 70% red blush on yellow/green ground. Flesh is yellow, medium firm. Tree medium vigor, productive, open spreading, tree and fruit buds are winter hardy. Relatively freestone when fully ripe, free of split pits, trees somewhat short lived
PF-5B	-19	Dark 80% red skin on yellow/orange background, good cropping, round, slightly ovate shape, 2 1/4" to mostly 2 1/2", some bacterial spot, firm fruit hangs well, high acidity, okay flavor, semicling, relatively few split pits
Harrow Dawn	-14	medium vigor & productivity, medium resistance to canker and bacterial spot, fruit round, uniform, medium size and quality, round, attractive, 80% solid red blush, uniform ripening, firm, ripens quickly, almost freestone when ripe, low split pits
Rising Star	-10	harvests inbetween Garnet Beauty and Redhaven, 60 to 80% red skin, bright yellow background, clean bright firm flesh, round, some with raised suture, good flavor, slight red near pit some years, early evaluation, not a heavy cropper so far
PF-7	-8	early evaluation, red blush on yellow/orange background, very good flavor, low pubescence, round, some with uneven halves
Summer Serenade	-6	good size and slightly better good skin color than its parent Garnet Beauty, same season, some drop noted, somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, productive, few split pits, From Willmeng Bros farm, Watervliet, MI,
Redhaven	0	round/oblate, uniform, 40 to 60% red on a yellow ground, significant number of split pits most years. Hardy wood and bud, non-browning, fuzzy fruit, prolific flowering, fruit stores well, freestone in most years, 2 1/2"+ if thinned properly,
Harbrite	2	60-70% red skin, mite susceptible, good b.s. resistance, attractive, semifreestone, hard to get large fruit, range of fruit maturities, stores well, significant split pits in some years, sometimes insufficient skin color.
General	2	Flamecrest X Harbinger, reported by NY to have very firm, yellow fleshed, with very little red flesh, 60% red blush with red striped skin, round fruit, good fruit bud hardiness, early evaluation.
Vivid	2	60% bright red skin with large size potential, flesh is yellow and freestone, somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, 950 hr chilling, somewhat lopsided, slight beak, raised suture, good flavor, retains flavor, ripens fast
Red Star	3	large, firm, very slightly clingy, yellow flesh, usually low fuzz, red pit, 40 to 90% dark red skin depending on year, bright yellow background, juicy, raised suture softens early some years, some bacterial spot on fruit
PF-12A	3	Medium to decent size fruit, depending on site, 90+% dark red skin colors early on exposed fruit, stays firm when ripe, attractive, freestone, upright vigorous tree, decent bacterial spot resistance, good flavor and holds flavor well most years
PF-15A	4	80% dark skin, attractive, uniform round fruit, productive, moderate vigor, some bacterial spot on leaves and fruit, size is adequate but not large, healthy tree
PF-12B	4	90+% red skin, decent to large round/oblate fruit, holds flavor well most years, fruit somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, red pit, mild flavor, some canker noted
Starfire	4	50 to 90% red skin, depending on year, decent to good fruit size potential, somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, attractive, multiple picking peach, hangs and stores well, good bud hardiness, open tree, good flavor, raised suture under some conditions
PF-15	4	Attractive 60% to 80% red skin, some bacterial spot on leaves, less on fruit, ripens with Redhaven some years, some growers prefer this to PF-15A. Now called PF 14 New Jersey because may be more consistent bearer under milder New Jersey conditions
John Boy	5	relatively large, freestone, firm, with 50 to 60% red skin on attractive bright yellow background. Production in Michigan has been good but reported to be inconsistent in New Jersey, less bacterial spot than R.Haven, flavor good
Blazing Star	5	60% to 80% red dark skin, freestone yellow flesh, attractive, round/oblate generally large fruit, high shoulder, firm flesh when ripe, good bacterial spot resistance, slight scattered red in flesh, slightly bumpy on ends of fruit
PF-15B	8	90%+ red skin, looks nice, relatively large fruit potential, some split pits, decent to good flavor, some bacterial spot on leaves, fruit hangs well, some tearing of flesh when harvesting ripe, tree with naturally wide crotch angles,
Glohaven	8	20 to 60% red skin on orange/yellow background, yellow flesh, very firm and resists browning, round, attractive shape, good size potential, does not crop well, okay flavor, 850 hr chilling.
Canadian Harmony	10	freestone, 50% red skin on light green, very good flavor and size potental. Moderate resistance to bacterial spot. Medium firm flesh, blush region sometime soft, suture may be raised & bumpy, vigorous tree, inconsistent cropper
Bounty	10	large fruit potential, round, uniform, leaves and fruit moderately bacterial spot susceptible, firm, good quality fruit hangs well, 50% to 80% red skin on yellow/slight green background, need more evaluation to determine productivity, one to watch
Contender	12	60-70% solid red blush on yellow/slight green background, attractive, blooms late, tends to overcrop with medium size fruit, some drop, maybe uneven ripening, decent bacterial spot resistance, slight raised suture, flavor fair when ripe
Harrow Beauty	12	80-90% red on orange/yellow background, modest size potential, productive, maybe unattractive suture, hardy, very firm yellow flesh, red toward pit, decent bacterial spot resistance, willowy tree, fruit retains flavor
Coralstar	12	early evaluation, non-browning, large fruit potential, high shoulder, maybe raised suture, 60-70% medium red skin, good flavor, nice flesh quality and retains flavor, low fuzz, good bacterial spot resistance
PF-20-007	12	attractive 70% to 80%+ red skin on bright yellow background, round/oblate, relatively large fruit, low fuzz, yellow flesh retains firmness, slightly stringy, fruit somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, light crop some years, raised suture, red pit
PF-23	12	attractive 80%+ dark red skin, fruit with very good firmness retention, few pickings, red pit, somewhat susceptible to bacterial spot, uniform fruit, a few reports of cold tender fruit buds, decent fruit size potential
Loring	12	40% red blush over yellow/green background, fair bud hardiness, some canker susceptibility, vigorous tree, some complaints that it does not ship well, freestone, skin color not sufficient some years, okay flavor
PF-17	12	60% red skin, 2 1/2"+ good fruit size potential, low fuzz, attractive, fruit has high shoulder and some tendency to tear at stem causing fruit drop, acceptable bacterial spot resistance, good cropper, firm nice quality flesh with good flavor, good fruit bud hardiness
Harrow Fair	12	65% red blush with attractive bright background, fruit from young trees are somewhat oblong, uniform ripening, modest size potential, firm flesh, good quality, good flavor retention, freestone, good bacterial spot resistance, productive
PF-24-007	18	large fruit with 50 to 60% red skin on yellow background, round/slight oblate, good bacterial spot resistance, good cropping although flower density sometimes low, firm good quality yellow flesh, retains flavor, early evaluation, one to watch
Allstar	18	Loring season, round to oblong, modest fruit size potential, nearly freestone, 70 to 90% red skin, good flavor, flavor retention not great in 2000, productive, some bacterial spot noted, softens on shoulders, flesh somewhat unattractive in 2000
MSU 26	18	SH424 X Fayette, 90% solid red skin, prolific, multiple picking, firm, mostly large fruit, range of fruit sizes, flavor good, good firmness, round uniform fruit, attractive blush, sometimes tears at peduncle
Glowing Star	24	70% dark red skin, round/oblate, somewhat raised suture, firm, large, large fruit size potential, bumpy calyx, non-browning, freestone, okay to good flavor, skin is loose at stem, vigorous tree
Cresthaven	24	hardy, hangs well, fruit is medium large--good if thinned, firm, round, fruit may get soft in red areas and on suture, somewhat susceptible to bacterial spot, fruit cracks in rainy season, fruit stores well, 40-50% red skin, variable performance
Redskin	25	good cropping and bacterial spot resistance. Some irregular fruit with suture problem in some years, not real attractive. Firm, clean flesh, long bloom. 40 to 50% red, fruit decent but not large, upright, vigorous, tough tree, some fruit drop tendency
Harcrest	28	fruit is medium to large, almost egg-shaped, 50 to 60% red. Flesh is very firm, yellow, and freestone, appears to be moderately resistant to canker, brown rot and slightly susceptible to bacterial spot, productive and hardy, tendency to drop.
Fayette	28	fair tree and bud hardiness, firm, smooth, yellow flesh, decent uniform fruit size, round/oblate somewhat asymmetric, ships well, smaller than Redskin and slower growth, somewhat bacterial spot susceptible, flavor not great, skin is 40-50% red
PF-27A	30	early evaluation, after Fayette, raised suture, 60% red skin, low fuzz, nice flavor, good fruit size, retains firmness, good bacterial spot resistance
Encore	31	bud hardy, moderate to large fruit, good firmness, green ground color, good bud hardiness, some complaints about fruit dropping, decent bacterial spot resistance, round, 60% red skin, firm, red pit
Laurol	41	decent but not real large fruit, 60% red over bright yellow ground color, freestone, red pit, firm flesh, significant bacterial spot on leaves and fruit, productive, some canker, some tree to tree variation noted, very susceptible to rusty spot (powdery mildew)
Pretty Lady	45	95% dark red skin, low fuzz, somewhat small fruit on young trees, round with rough raised suture, yellow suture in flesh, freestone, red pit, firm flesh, crunchy, bacterial spot may be a problem, shows poor fruit bud winter hardiness

notes:

Har Rel to RH = typical harvest date in days (- = before) or (+ = after) Red Haven, which is late July to early August in lower Michigan.

The relative harvest dates and variety performance may differ for other locations and in other years. The information is the opinion of Bill Shane, Peach Specialist at Michigan State University, and not necessarily that of the Michigan Peach Sponsor board or its members.