Historical Name: Thomas Jefferson
Common Name: Indian Blood Peach
Latin Name: Prunus persica
Although peaches (Prunus persica) are native to Asia (probably China) they were spread along the trade routes into the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe many years ago. In the 16th century they were brought to North America and planted in what is now Alabama and Florida by early colonists. Native Americans found the fruits to be tasty and the trees easy to grow. They spread the species from tribe to tribe through trade. The seeds were also spread by animals, and peaches could often be found growing abundantly in the wild. This led to the 17th century misconception that peaches were indigenous to North America.
Prince Nursery in Flushing, NY (now part of Queens, NY) was selling named varieties of peaches by 1774. George Washington purchased some, but Thomas Jefferson was so impressed with peaches that he purchased many. He had over 1100 planted at his Monticello plantation, forming a living fence around his gardens. One type he favored was known as the Indian Blood Peach. Native Americans were the first to cultivate it. The Indian Blood Peach probably came into existence as a chance hybrid in the wild. The skin is a rich red color and the flesh is marbled with prominent red veins. Fragrant and tasty, it was widely adopted by the colonists for many culinary uses, from jams and baked goods to ice cream. Today the Indian Blood Peach is an heirloom variety, grown more by hobby gardeners than commercial orchardists. This variety does not withstand the rigors of long distance transportation, and its shelf life is relatively short, so it receives little attention from supermarket chains. It is occasionally offered by roadside farm stands.
The Indian Blood Peach being grown in UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove was germinated from a seed collected from a tree near Monticello, Virginia. It was planted in the Grove as part of UCNJ’s Founder’s Day Celebration in October, 2010. While it cannot be confirmed that this tree is a descendant of the Indian Blood Peaches grown by Jefferson, it is certainly the same variety he grew over 200 years ago.