Guide: Peach
The peach tree has deep pink blossom that, on the large irrigated plains, covers thousands of hectares at the end of winter. It flowers before it comes into leaf, so for a few days pink dominates the landscape.
When
It usually blooms between mid-February and late March. Each variety has its moment, and the big fruit-growing areas grow many of them, from early to late, which stretches the season. Late-winter weather also matters: warmth brings it forward and cold delays it.
Where
The main peach-growing areas are in Aragón, Catalonia, Murcia and Extremadura. Among the most visited blossoms are those of Cieza, on the Segura plain (Murcia), and the Baix Segrià around Aitona and Alcarràs (Lleida).
How to tell the moment
At bud stage the buds show a pink tip. With the first flowers a few plots open, usually early varieties, while others stay closed. At full bloom the trees are covered in pink and leafless. At the end the petals fall, the leaves come out and the colour fades. On the same plain, orchards at different stages sit side by side.
How to see it
These are private farms in the middle of their season: do not go into the orchards or cut branches, because every flower can become a peach. Explore by public paths and waymarked routes, or on organised visits. Park without blocking tracks: tractors and work crews are busy in those weeks. Low morning and evening light brings out the pink best.
Did you know?
Its scientific name, Prunus persica, recalls Persia, but the peach was domesticated in China. The oldest peach stones found by archaeologists come from the Yangtze valley and are between 7,000 and 8,000 years old.
Where we follow it
Usual season: dates from past years, for guidance only. Each year it comes earlier or later depending on the weather.
Tell me when it blooms: peach
We will email you when flowering starts. One email per season, no advertising.
Sources: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · revistacampo.es · igpmelocotondecieza.org