Peach, Encore, Bare Root

Peach, Encore (Prunus persica ‘Encore’)

Encore is a high-performing, late-season yellow peach known for its juicy texture, rich flavor, and firm freestone flesh. Developed by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, it’s prized for ripening in late August to early September, well after most other peach varieties are finished — making it a great choice for extending the harvest season in home orchards and regenerative systems. The fruit is medium to large, with bright yellow skin and a deep red blush, and it holds up beautifully for fresh eating, preserving, or light storage.

Self-fertile and reliably productive, Encore thrives in USDA Zones 5–8, with moderate chill hour requirements and good cold hardiness. It blooms in early spring with soft pink flowers that support pollinators, and the tree’s upright, manageable form makes it a good candidate for food forests, backyard orchards, or silvopasture edges. Its ability to produce firm, flavorful fruit late in the season fills an important niche for succession planting in diverse orchard systems.

Key Characteristics

• Late-season ripening for extended harvest
  Encore ripens in late August or early September — a full two to three weeks after most standard varieties. Ideal for succession planting and long-season fruit production.
• Excellent flavor and freestone convenience
  The yellow flesh is firm, juicy, and full of rich peach flavor. Freestone pits make the fruit easy to prepare for fresh eating, baking, or preserving.
• Self-fertile and dependable
  Encore does not require a second variety for pollination and produces consistent yields year after year. A great choice for space-limited home orchards.
• Cold-hardy and disease-tolerant
  Developed for the Northeast, Encore is more tolerant of cold winters than many peaches and offers better resistance to bacterial spot, making it suitable for organic and low-spray systems.
• Strong candidate for food forests and fruit tree guilds
  With its manageable size, early pollinator blooms, and late fruiting window, Encore integrates well into permaculture orchard designs, providing fruit when most other trees have finished.

Product Details

• Sun requirements: Full sun
• Soil requirements: Medium, well-drained
• Bloom time: Early spring
• Bloom color: Pink
• Fruit qualities: Medium to large, yellow skin with red blush, firm yellow flesh, freestone
• Fruit uses: Fresh eating, baking, canning, drying
• Fruit ripening month: Late August to early September
• Required chill hours: ~750–850
• Pollination requirements: Self-fertile
• USDA Hardiness zones: 5–8

Encore is a must-have for anyone wanting to extend peach season into early fall. With rich flavor, cold hardiness, and dependable yields, it's an ideal fit for regenerative orchards, food forests, and home gardens alike.