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The peach varieties listed below are considered by many to be useful in the home orchard. Unless otherwise noted, all are self-pollinating and freestone.
Canadian Harmony: An attractive peach that develops a bright red color when ripe. The fruit is round and firm and reportedly has good texture. The tree is large and upright with a hardiness equivalent to Redhaven. It ripens three weeks after Redhaven. It can be canned but is less firm than Elberta.
Contender: Contender blooms slightly later than many other varieties and is grown in areas where frost is a problem. The flesh is sweet and flavorful. Resists browning when cut. It is good eaten fresh and an acceptable canner. Ripens approximately a month after Redhaven.
Early Elberta: Also known as Improved Elberta, Lemon Elberta or Gleason's Elberta. The golden yellow color of the skin and flesh do not give canning syrup a red tint. It is an excellent canning peach with a rich, sweet flavor. Ripens approximately a month after Redhaven.
Elberta: One of the most popular canning peaches, Elberta is also excellent eaten fresh. The flesh is firm and yellow. Elberta trees are hardy along the Wasatch Front and productive. It ripens 34 days after Redhaven.
Flamin' Fury PF Lucky 13: This is a newer variety useful for the home orchardist. It has red color and is firm, sweet and juicy. This peach has a tendency to overproduce and should be thinned soon after the danger of frost has passed. Ripens a few days after Redhaven.
Glohaven: This variety is very popular in areas of the Intermountain West but is not as well known in Utah. It has large, rounded fruit and is almost fuzz-less. It has mostly red skin with firm, golden-yellow flesh. For these reasons it is a popular canning peach. It also resists browning. It ripens around two weeks after Redhaven. Best grown on the Wasatch Front and warmer areas of Utah.
Hale Haven: This peach has mostly red skin and yellow flesh. It is very popular as an eating peach as well as for canning. It ripens approximately three weeks after Redhaven.
J.H. Hale: The fruit of this variety is larger than most other peaches. Many consider it to have excellent flavor. Keep in mind that it requires a pollinator. This can be any other peach or nectarine that is not J.H. Hale. This variety has been popular for over 100 years.
Oh Henry: This peach is becoming more popular with home orchardists but has been commercially grown for a number of years. It is the last common peach variety to reliably ripen along the Wasatch Front, ripening five to six weeks after Redhaven. It is naturally large and has little fuzz. Its flesh is yellow with some hints of red and is very sweet and firm.
Red Globe: This is another peach that is not as popular in Utah but is in other areas of the Intermountain west. The skin has a peachy-red blush and yellow flesh. It is good eaten fresh or used for canning. Ripens around three weeks after Redhaven.
Redhaven: This is one of the most popular peaches in the world. It is relatively early but is among the earliest peaches considered by many to have good flavor and texture. It has an occasional clingstone fruit, but most are freestone. It seems to be more cold-hardy than the Elberta.
Reliance: This is among the most cold-hardy peach varieties. It is commonly planted in warmer areas of Cache Valley. However, fruit quality is not as good as many other varieties, where it can be somewhat mealy. It ripens just after Redhaven.
Veteran: This is an old-time peach that is more cold-hardy than most other varieties. It is an excellent canning peach and good fresh. Flesh is mostly yellow.
Special thanks to Peter Van Well of Van Well Nursery for assistance with this information.
