Iowa White

A flavorful, cold-hardy sweet peach that reportedly originated in an Iowa farm field. Fruit is white free-stone with a red blush in the center, that gets small-to-medium in size without tending, and bigger with active care. A prolific producer, this variety is unfussy and can weather spring frosts just fine; I've seen it bloom in snow, go through a severe drought, and still produce 100+ fruit, all in the same year. It can survive to at least -10F, and likely colder. Grows quickly, too. In zone 5B where I am, it blooms in waves in April over the course of three weeks and similarly ripens in waves in the first weeks of September. The flowers are quite beautiful too; they start white and transition to dark pink as they age. Fruit is packed with that "peach" flavor and fragrance. Unlike yellow peaches, pick these a little before they're soft to the touch--they'll be a little mushy if you wait till then. 5 for $6. (Price is a bit higher because of needing padded envelopes.)