When are peaches in season?

In a home garden, peaches ripen from April in Florida to September in the northern states that can grow them: mid-April to late May in central Florida, June to August in North Carolina and Tennessee, and late July to mid-September in New York. A single variety is picked for about 7 to 10 days, and an early and a late variety together spread the harvest over weeks.

This page is about fruit you grow yourself, in a home garden. It is not a guide to pick-your-own farms or to what is in the stores. Dates shift with the variety, the weather that year and how much winter chill the plant got, so treat them as typical ranges.

When peaches ripen, by region

Typical home-garden harvest times for peaches, by region
Where	Ripens	Source
Central and north-central Florida	mid April to late May, low-chill varieties. Flordaprince mid-April, UF Gold late April, UF 2000 late May.	UF/IFAS Extension
Georgia	late April to late August. Runs from Flordadawn in late April, mostly in south Georgia, to Big Red, Parade and Fairtime in mid to late August.	University of Georgia Extension
North Carolina	June to August	NC State Extension
Tennessee	June to August. Surecrop in June, Redhaven early to mid-July, Contender late July, Intrepid and China Pearl in August.	University of Tennessee Extension
Arkansas (Arkansas River Valley)	early June to late August. Goldcrest June 3, Redhaven July 5, Loring July 22, Cresthaven August 7, La Jewel August 23, at Clarksville.	University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service
Southern Wisconsin	early August to mid September, cold-hardy varieties. Peaches are a challenge here. Reliance early August, Intrepid mid-August, Contender late August, Madison early September, PF24C mid-September.	University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
New York	late July to mid September. Cornell's table gives the harvest period for a peach tree as late July to mid-September.	Cornell Cooperative Extension
Southern New England (Massachusetts)	mid July to early September, early, mid and late varieties. Red Haven ripens in early August.	UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
Western Washington	mid July to mid August, recommended varieties. Scarlet Pearl mid-July, Harbelle and Harken early August, Frost and Redhaven mid-August. Trials in the Skagit Valley.	Washington State University Extension
Sacramento County, California	June to August, early and late varieties. Early peaches in June, peaches and nectarines in July, late ones in August.	UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County (UC ANR)

Where peaches grow

Cornell says peaches are usually successful in zone 6 and warmer, and that flower buds are usually killed near -15°F. In zone 5 and colder, a hard winter can kill the flower buds. Cornell Cooperative Extension (Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home)

How long until a tree bears

NC State Extension's table gives 2 to 4 years from planting to first harvest for peach. NC State Extension (Extension Gardener Handbook, Table 15-6)

What moves the dates

Variety sets the ripening time, and each variety has its own chill-hour need. Local bloom time and freeze risk matter as well. University of Georgia Extension (Circular 1063)

How long one variety lasts

Each variety ripens over about 7 to 10 days. Three varieties planted about 10 days apart give roughly a four-week harvest. UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

When to plant peaches, by zone

These are planting windows from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each hardiness zone. They say when peach plants can go in. They do not say when the fruit ripens: that is the table above.

When to plant peaches, by zone
Zone	Planting window	Exact dates
Zone 3	Not suited to this zone	Zone 3 dates
Zone 4	Not suited to this zone	Zone 4 dates
Zone 5	Not suited to this zone	Zone 5 dates
Zone 6	Apr 10 to May 21	Zone 6 dates
Zone 7	Mar 25 to May 5	Zone 7 dates
Zone 8	Feb 26 to Apr 6	Zone 8 dates
Zone 9	Jan 29 to Mar 10	Zone 9 dates
Zone 10	Mar 2 to Apr 12	Zone 10 dates
Zone 11	Mar 1 to Apr 11	Zone 11 dates

How to grow peaches · Find your growing zone by ZIP code

Common questions

When is peach season?

It runs from April in Florida to September in the Northeast. Most of the South picks from June into August, and New York and Wisconsin from late July or August into mid-September. Each variety lasts about 7 to 10 days.

Can I grow peaches in zone 5?

It is a gamble. Cornell says peaches usually succeed in zone 6 and warmer, because flower buds are usually killed near -15°F. Wisconsin extension lists cold-hardy varieties but calls peaches very challenging in cold climates.

How long until a peach tree bears fruit?

NC State gives 2 to 4 years from planting, Cornell 4 and Oregon State 4 to 5.