‘Evelynn’ and ‘Felicia’ – Two New Peach Cultivars in ‘Redhaven’ Season.

Abstract

Evelynn’ NJ 357 is a new, yellow-fleshed peach cultivar obtained from a cross between proprietary peach seedling selection ‘H15-20-90258’ as the seed parent with ‘Summerprince’ peach tree, as the pollen parent. Fruit is nearly round, large, uniform, attractive, and smooth with low pubescence. It has excellent firmness, low tendency to crack, and low susceptibility to bacterial spot. It tastes sweet to very sweet and subacid. It blooms profusely and has a very high fruit set; as a result, it requires moderate to high bloom or fruitlet thinning. Fruit hangs well on the tree after achieving commercial maturity. ‘Felicia’ ‘NJ361’is another yellow-fleshed peach cultivar obtained from a crossing of ‘P.F. 23’ as the seed parent with peach seedling selection ‘D91-184-94229’. Fruit has red to dark red skin with a yellow-orange ground color. Fruit is medium to large, round, and low-cracking, and has low susceptibility to bacterial spot. The flesh is firm but melting, and has traces of red, and it tastes sweet and mildly acidic. ‘Evelynn’ and ‘Felicia’ ripen in late July during the ‘Redhaven’ season, and both are suggested for trial or replacement of ‘Redhaven’.