Country Sweet Peach

Prunus persica 'Country Sweet'

Nature Hills Nursery

Hardy in zones 5-8, needing 800 to 900 chill hours and thriving in areas with hot summers and cool winters
Produces large, uniformly dark scarlet-red peaches with firm, fine-grained yellow flesh and an exceptionally sweet, low-acid flavor in mid-summer
Self-fertile semi-clingstone fruit matures around mid-July, roughly five days ahead of the popular Redhaven variety
Grows to 12 to 15 feet tall and wide with a spreading, rounded canopy that fills the backyard orchard beautifully

$83⁹²

Shipping calculated at checkout.

In Stock

Enter your ZIP code to check shipping availability.

Find your Growing Zone

Plant Size

#3 Container | 3-4 ft

Product variants

Planting & Care

Where to Plant

Sunlight: Country Sweet Peach requires a minimum of eight hours of direct sun daily. Less light means weaker wood, sparse flowering, and fruit that never fully develops its signature sweet flavor or rich red color.

Soil: Plant in fertile, well-drained loam or sandy loam with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Avoid heavy clay or sites with standing water, as peach roots are highly sensitive to wet feet. If your soil is on the clay side, plant on a slight mound or raised bed and work in a generous amount of compost before planting. Space trees at least 15 to 20 feet from other trees and structures to allow for the full spreading canopy.

Watering Requirements

Water newly planted trees deeply once or twice a week during the first growing season, soaking the root zone to at least 18 inches. Once established, Country Sweet Peach does reasonably well in periods of dry weather but benefits from deep watering every seven to ten days during fruit development in late spring and early summer. Inconsistent moisture during fruit sizing leads to smaller fruit and can trigger premature drop, so maintain steady soil moisture from bloom through harvest.

Pruning Tips

Prune in late winter to early spring just as the buds begin to swell and before full bloom. Peaches fruit on one-year-old wood, so the goal is to encourage fresh lateral growth every season while maintaining an open vase shape with four to five main scaffold branches. Remove crossing, crowded, or downward-facing branches to let light and air penetrate the canopy, which improves fruit color and reduces disease pressure. After pruning, thin young fruit to one peach every four to six inches of branch once they reach marble size; this single step dramatically improves fruit size and sweetness.

Fertilizer Needs

Apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer in early spring just before buds break, following package rates for the tree's age and size. A second, lighter application of a low-nitrogen fertilizer in early summer supports fruit development without pushing excessive leafy growth that can shade the fruit. Avoid fertilizing after midsummer, as late-season nitrogen encourages tender new growth that is highly vulnerable to winter injury.

Delivery and Shipping

Preorder Shipping Schedule

We ship your plants when it's safe to transport them to your zone. Dates are estimated and subject to weather delays.

Zone 3-4	Week of March 30th
Zone 5	Week of March 16th
Zone 6-12	Week of March 2nd

Shipping Rates

Ships in 7-10 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50	$9.99
$50 - $99.99	$14.99
$100 - $149.99	$16.99
$150 - $198.99	$24.99
$199+	FREE

✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee

Understanding Our Container Sizes

At Nature Hills, our plants are sold in industry-standard nursery containers. You will notice we use the word "container" rather than "gallon." Container numbers follow a nursery trade size standard, not liquid volume. The number tells you the plant's size category and general maturity level. A larger container means a more established plant with a stronger root system.

Container Sizes

Quart

Plant age: 6 months to 1 year
Best for: Ground covers, perennials, ornamental grasses
What to expect: Our smallest and most affordable size. Well-suited for planting in multiples across a large area. Allow 1 to 2 seasons for full establishment.

#1 Container

Plant age: 1 to 2 years
Best for: Shrubs, perennials, smaller trees
What to expect: About the size of a large coffee can. A well-developed root system in a manageable size. Good value choice when you have time to let the plant grow into the space over a season or two.

#2 Container

Plant age: 2 to 3 years
Best for: Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment
What to expect: A noticeable step up from a #1 in both plant size and root development. Good choice when you want visible presence without going to a larger size.

#3 Container

Plant age: 3 to 4 years
Best for: Most plants, most situations — flowering trees, shade trees, evergreen shrubs
What to expect: Our most popular size. Strong, developed root system. Plants in a #3 container make an immediate visual impact from day one. If you want a head start rather than waiting seasons for a plant to fill in, this is typically the right choice.

#5 Container and Larger

Plant age: 4 to 5+ years
Best for: Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact
What to expect: Large, mature plants ready to make an immediate statement in your landscape. We also carry #7 and larger sizes for select varieties.

Why "Container" and Not "Gallon"?

Nursery container sizes follow an industry trade standard established for the nursery and horticulture industry. The number is a size designation, not a measurement of liquid volume. Actual soil volume varies by plant type, root mass, and growing medium. Using "container" is the accurate industry term. When you see #1, #2, or #3, think of it as the plant's size tier, not a gallon measurement.

Root Pouch Containers

Some Nature Hills plants arrive in a Root Pouch, a breathable fabric container made from 100% recycled materials. Root Pouches encourage denser root development through air pruning, which discourages root circling and promotes a stronger, more fibrous root ball at the time of planting.

Plants growing in Root Pouch fabric containers, showing the breathable woven fabric construction

There are two types. Knowing which one you have changes how you plant:

Degradable (brown or tan fabric): Plant the entire pouch directly in the ground. The fabric breaks down naturally in the soil over time.
Non-degradable (black or gray fabric): Remove the pouch before planting. Cut the bottom open with scissors, then peel the sides away. The fibrous root ball will hold its shape.

Not sure which type you have? Check the tag on your plant or contact us and we will confirm.

Full Root Pouch planting guide

Choosing the Right Size

Size	Plant Age	Best For
Quart	6 mo to 1 yr	Ground covers, perennials, grasses. Budget-friendly for mass plantings.
#1 Container	1 to 2 yrs	Shrubs, perennials, small trees. Value choice for patient gardeners.
#2 Container	2 to 3 yrs	Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment.
#3 Container	3 to 4 yrs	Most plants. Immediate visual impact. Our most popular size.
#5 and larger	4+ yrs	Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact.

Still not sure which size is right for your project? Our plant specialists are happy to help. Contact us and we will point you in the right direction.

A True Summer Peach Worth the Wait

Country Sweet Peach (Prunus persica 'Country Sweet') is the kind of fruit that makes you understand why people plant orchards. The fruit is large, round, and almost entirely cloaked in deep dark scarlet-red skin with barely a hint of the yellow base color underneath. Bite in, and you get firm, fine-grained yellow flesh with a notably sweet, low-acid flavor that stands out even in a lineup of good peaches. It earns the name Country Sweet honestly.

This is a mid-early season variety, ripening around mid-July in most growing regions, putting it roughly five days ahead of the widely grown Redhaven. For home growers who want to extend their harvest window or who simply want ripe peaches as early as possible, that timing is a genuine advantage.

A Bold Tree for the Backyard Orchard

The tree itself has a spreading, moderately vigorous habit and grows to about 12 to 15 feet tall and wide when allowed to develop naturally. With proper annual pruning to maintain an open vase shape, it stays manageable for most home lots while still producing a full, productive canopy. In early spring, typically March, the tree erupts in large, showy pink blossoms well before the leaves emerge, providing one of the finest floral displays of any fruit tree you can grow. The dark green, lance-shaped foliage takes over through summer and often develops warm golden-yellow fall color before drop.

Country Sweet is self-fertile, meaning you do not need a second tree for pollination. However, planting a compatible peach variety nearby can improve fruit set in years when cold or rainy weather interferes with bee activity during bloom.

Chill Hours and Climate Fit

Country Sweet requires 800 to 900 chill hours, making it a strong fit for most of the temperate United States in zones 5 through 8. It thrives in the classic peach belt that stretches from the mid-Atlantic through the Midwest and into parts of the Plains, where winters are cold enough to meet its chilling requirement and summers are warm enough to develop full sugar content in the fruit. It is not suited to the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest, or the Desert Southwest, where either insufficient chill hours or disease pressure and extreme heat work against success.

Getting the Most From Your Harvest

Fruit thinning is one of the highest-return tasks you can perform on any peach tree. Once fruit reaches marble size, remove all but one peach per four to six inches of branch. This concentrates the tree's energy into fewer, larger, sweeter fruits and protects branches from the weight of an overcrop. Country Sweet peaches are ready to pick when the background skin color shifts from green toward golden yellow and the fruit gives slightly under gentle pressure near the stem. The fragrance at that point is unmistakable.

Because this variety has semi-clingstone fruit, the flesh clings lightly to the pit, making it excellent for fresh eating and preserves, though freestone varieties are generally easier to slice for canning. Country Sweet is best enjoyed fresh at peak ripeness, grilled with a drizzle of honey, folded into a summer cobbler, or simply eaten over the sink before you make it back to the kitchen.

Botanical Name

Prunus persica 'Country Sweet'
Class
- Magnoliopsida
Species

persica
Cultivar

Country Sweet
Growing Zones

5-8
Height

12-15 ft
Width

12-15 ft
Sunlight
- Full sun
Growth Rate

Fast
Flower Color
- Pink
Leaf Color
- Green
Fragrant

Yes
Bloom Period

Early Spring
Does Not Ship To

AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, OR, PR, WA

Free shipping

On all orders over $199
Plant Sentry™

Compliant guaranteed
Easy returns

Hassle free returns policy
Live Chat

Talk to a real person

Growing Zones 5-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

Frequently Asked Questions

What USDA hardiness zones is the Country Sweet Peach suitable for?

Country Sweet Peach thrives in USDA zones 5 through 8. It needs 800 to 900 chill hours to fruit properly, making it well-suited for temperate regions from the mid-Atlantic through the Midwest. Choose this variety if your area gets consistent winter cold.

What are the planting requirements for Country Sweet Peach, like soil type and spacing?

Country Sweet Peach grows 12-15 feet tall and wide, thriving in zones 5-8 with 800-900 chill hours. Plant in well-draining soil with full sun, spacing trees 15-20 feet apart to allow for mature canopy spread. Shop at Nature Hills for healthy bare-root or potted trees.

How do I care for a Country Sweet Peach tree, including watering and fertilizing?

Country Sweet Peach trees thrive in zones 5-8 with full sun and well-draining soil. Water deeply once weekly during growing season, increasing during fruit development. Fertilize in early spring with balanced fruit tree fertilizer and prune annually to maintain an open vase shape.

Is the Country Sweet Peach self-pollinating, or does it need another variety?

Country Sweet Peach is self-fertile and doesn't require a second tree for pollination. However, planting another compatible peach variety nearby can boost fruit set during springs when poor weather limits bee activity during bloom.

What is the mature size and shape of the Country Sweet Peach tree?

Country Sweet Peach trees grow 12 to 15 feet tall and wide with a spreading, moderately vigorous habit. With annual pruning to maintain an open vase shape, the tree stays manageable for home lots while producing a full canopy. Shop at Nature Hills for this self-fertile variety.

What pests and diseases affect Country Sweet Peach, and how do I control them?

Country Sweet Peach faces typical stone fruit issues like peach leaf curl, brown rot, and oriental fruit moth in zones 5-8. Apply dormant copper spray in late winter before the March bloom period to prevent fungal diseases. Use integrated pest management with pheromone traps and properly timed sprays during the growing season.

Does Country Sweet Peach ship bare root or in containers, and when is the best shipping time?

Country Sweet Peach trees typically ship bare root during dormant season (late winter to early spring) for optimal establishment. Container plants may be available for spring through fall shipping in zones 5-8. Plant bare root trees immediately after last frost for best results in your area.

Is Country Sweet Peach suitable for my full-sun location with well-draining soil?

Country Sweet Peach thrives in full sun and well-draining soil conditions. This variety grows 12-15 feet tall and wide, performing best in zones 5-8 with 800-900 chill hours. Plant in your sunniest spot with good drainage for optimal fruit production.