I live in N.Carolina in the foothills section and on this property that I purchased a couple of years ago, has this huge tree that's leaf is similar to a cherry tree...but grows thousands of little fuzzy fruits that look like (golf-ball size and smaller) peaches! They are mostly white to a light yellow in color on the outside, and color and texture of a pear on the inside. They are delicious. I think they are some sweeter than a peach...but taste very similar to one. The fleshy part is really stuck to the pit which looks exactly like a minature peach pit. Is it a peach? And if so...what's it called?
It may be a peach. Posting a picture of the leaves and the fruit would help somone identify the plant.
Cut a small branch and compare leaves etc. with those of a peach tree nearby. Small firm fruits could be due to it being an unselected seedling that came up from a peach pit, or it could have been a seedling planted as a rootstock, the peach or other tree grafted onto it having died and left the tree now there to grow on in its place. Many flowering peach cultivars also produce smaller, less attractive fruits than those chosen for orchard use. Like other orchard fruit tree cultivars orchard peach varieties produce larger, more appealing fruits than typical for the species.
I'm new at this...but here it goes! I've attached 2 pictures that I hope can be seen. The top limb is the one in question and the bottom limb is a branch from a Redhaven Peach Tree. Hope this helps. Also I was wondering that if I were to prune this tree and maintain it better, would the fruit become larger? I would love these in jams and preserves!
Looks exactly as expected. Next year you may find it has large showy flowers more ornamentally effective than those of orchard peach cultivars, indicating it was a flowering peach chosen for ornament rather than eating. If not then you will have to decide if you like the fruit well enough to keep it for those alone.
Thank U 2 ALL!!! I now know what this tree is and why it is the prettiest in Spring. Also Thanks for a very pleasant and speedy response from all!!! Sincerely from a first-timer.
