Mary Jane Peach is a chance seedling discovered in Steilacoom, Washington, that has earned its place in home orchards across zones 5 through 9. This red-skinned, yellow-fleshed peach grows into a substantial tree reaching 18 feet tall and produces large fruit with very good flavor. What truly sets Mary Jane apart is its late-bloom habit, which allows it to set fruit reliably even during frosty springs when other peach varieties fail. The showy pink blossoms arrive mid-season, and the reward is fruit equally suited to fresh eating, drying, canning, or freezing.
Full Sun
Moderate
5-9
216in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
This variety's real strength lies in its ability to thrive in challenging springs. Louie Strahl's accidental discovery in the Pacific Northwest proved that late-blooming peaches could deliver both reliability and exceptional flavor, and Mary Jane demonstrates this consistently across a wide hardiness range. The large fruit and pink spring display make it as ornamental as it is productive.
Mary Jane Peach is a genuinely multipurpose fruit. Fresh from the tree, the large yellow-fleshed fruit offers very good flavor for eating out of hand. The abundant harvest also dries beautifully, making it excellent for preserving. Canning and freezing are equally successful, so a productive tree provides options year-round: fresh peaches in summer, dried fruit for winter snacking, and preserved peaches for baking and cooking throughout the year.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Bare-root peach trees are best planted in late fall or early spring when the tree is dormant. Choose a location receiving full sun and space the tree where air can circulate freely around the canopy to reduce disease pressure. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root system and set the tree so the graft union (the bump on the trunk) sits just above soil level. Backfill with soil mixed with compost, water deeply, and apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk.
Mary Jane Peaches mature in mid to late summer. The fruit is ready when the skin has turned fully red with yellow undertones and the flesh yields gently to thumb pressure without being mushy. Pick fruit in the morning when temperatures are cool, holding the peach gently and twisting slightly to detach it from the branch. Peaches do not continue to ripen significantly after picking, so wait until they reach full color and fragrance before harvest.
Prune Mary Jane Peach in late winter while the tree is still dormant, removing any crossing branches, dead wood, or growth that blocks air circulation through the center of the canopy. Peaches fruit on one-year-old wood, so avoid over-pruning; light annual pruning keeps the tree healthy and productive. Remove any shoots growing below the graft union.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Mary Jane Peach began as a chance seeding, discovered by Louie Strahl in Steilacoom, Washington. Rather than being a carefully bred hybrid, this cultivar emerged spontaneously, representing the kind of fortunate garden accident that sometimes yields exceptional fruit trees. Its late-blooming character likely reflects the Pacific Northwest climate where it was found, an adaptation that proved valuable enough to propagate and share widely. The variety has since become recognized for solving a real problem: frost damage to spring blossoms in cooler regions.”