56 Nectarine Varieties: An Overview (With Pictures)
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Ed Malaker
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Nectarines are similar to peaches, but they lack the trademark fuzzy exterior. This is a tasty fruit that many people enjoy straight from the tree or in a dessert. Many varieties are available, so gardeners have a huge selection of colors and flavors to choose from.
If you want to know which kind of nectarine would work best for you, keep reading as we provide a list of all the different types.
The 56 Varieties of Nectarine
1. Arctic Rose Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 5 to July 20 |
The Arctic Rose Nectarine is a delicious white flesh fruit that’s perfect for the garden. It has a crunchy but sweet taste and is one of the larger varieties that you’ll find. The skin is yellow with patches of red.
2. Arctic Star Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 1 to June 15 |
The Arctic Star Nectarine starts to ripen in the last week of May and produces a great-tasting fruit with low acidity. It’s a self-fertilizing tree that produces eye-catching red nectarines. It’s a large fruit that you can pick and start enjoying in early June.
3. Desert Dawn Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 1 to June 15 |
The Desert Dawn Nectarine is a popular variety to use when creating desserts. It has bright red skin that looks attractive in pies or on the counter, and the yellow flesh is tasty and sweet.
4. Double Delight Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 3 to July 31 |
The Double Delight Nectarine is one of the more popular varieties due to its extremely sweet flavor that is perfect for any occasion. It has light red skin with yellow flesh.
5. Fairlane Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 3 to July 14 |
The Fairlane Nectarine is similar to the Double Delight Nectarine in appearance and flavor. It has a firm texture, and many people like to use this variety for baking or canning.
6. Fantasia Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 15 to July 21 |
The Fantasia Nectarine is easy to find in many grocery stores. It has a good, sweet flavor, with plenty of yellow and red streaks through the flesh that make it more attractive.
7. Fire Bright Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 25 to August 10 |
The Fire Bright Nectarine is a popular California variety. It’s a large nectarine with a deep red color and dark yellow flesh. The fruit is smooth with a juicy texture, making it great to eat right off the tree.
8. Fire Sweet Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 25 to August 10 |
The Fire Sweet Nectarine is a large variety that gets this name from its bright red color with yellow highlights that gives it the appearance of a flame. It’s a good choice for juicing or eating straight off the tree.
9. Flavortop Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 25 to August 10 |
The Flavortop Nectarine is a California variety. Its medium size is a bit smaller than many other kinds on this list, and you will also see more prevalent red streaks throughout the inside of the fruit.
10. Gold Mine Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 8 to August 20 |
The Gold Mine Nectarine is a unique variety with a pale white-yellow inside and red skin with yellow highlights that can cause the nectarine to look orange. It has a fantastic flavor that many people like to use in baking.
11. Heavenly White Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 13 to July 30 |
The Heavenly White Nectarine is popular among fruit lovers for its texture and sweet flavor. Its name refers to its light, almost white color inside and out. This variety tends to be ripe in late July when the temperatures are high.
12. Independence Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 26 to July 11 |
The Independence Nectarine is a large variety that’s often ripe during the 4th of July holiday, which is what gives it its name. It has red-and-yellow skin, an oval shape, and a large pit that can be hard to remove.
13. John Rivers Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 12 to July 29 |
The John Rivers Nectarine is a variety that reverses the traditional color scheme. These nectarines have primarily yellow skin with patches of red, and the inside fruit may even have a bit of green, causing many people to wonder if it’s ripe. However, if it’s slightly soft on the outside, it’s ready to eat and will taste great.
14. June Glo Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 22 to July 13 |
The June Glow Nectarine is a variety with a name referencing how early you can start picking them. It’s one of the first varieties to ripen, and they have yellow-and-red skin with yellow flesh.
15. Le Grand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 13 to August 28 |
The Le Grand Nectarine is named as such because it’s one of the largest varieties that you can find. The fruit of this variety is almost orange and tastes sweet.
16. Liz’s Late Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 25 to September 10 |
Liz’s Late Nectarines are a good choice for people who prefer to have ripe fruit late in the season. You will often need to wait until September to eat one of these nectarines, and you may find that it isn’t as sweet as several other varieties.
17. May Grand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 15 to May 30 |
The May Grand Nectarine is a large variety with a deep red color and yellow fruit inside. The skin is smooth, and the fruit is usually ready for harvest in mid- to late-May.
18. Mericrest Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 8 to July 27 |
The Mericrest Nectarine is a variety that has yellow skin with red patches. It’s a classic nectarine that produces a large harvest in mid-season.
19. Moon Grand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 8 to July 27 |
The Moon Grand Nectarine is a large red fruit that looks like an apple. It’s easy to spot on the tree and has a sweet flavor that works well in pies and other desserts.
20. Morton Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 20 to August 30 |
The Morton Nectarine is common in grocery stores. It’s one of the smallest varieties, with red skin and white insides.
21. Nectar Babe Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 3 to July 14 |
The Nectar Babe Nectarine is a variety that looks like a peach. It has smooth skin and a unique sweet taste that many people enjoy. It’s usually ready for harvest in early to mid-July and produces a large crop.
22. Necta Zee Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 3 to July 14 |
The Necta Zee Nectarine is a great choice for people who like to harvest their fruit throughout the season. These nectarines get ripe early in the season and continue to produce fruit until the middle of summer.
23. Nectared 2 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 1 to August 10 |
Nectared Nectarines are modified fruits that have unique traits. For instance, the Nectared 2 Nectarine has firm skin with a deep red color.
24. Nectared 4 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 20 to August 30 |
The Nectared 4 Nectarine is another nectared variety. This option produces a firm fruit that’s almost crunchy and is good for pies and people who don’t like soggy fruit.
25. Nectared 5 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | N/A |
The Nectared 5 Nectarine is one of the rarer varieties. The fruit is firm and tasty, but the tree depends on ideal growing conditions to grow properly, and bad weather can significantly decrease your harvest.
26. Nectared 6 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 20 to August 30 |
The Nectared 6 Nectarine has yellow and red skin with yellow flesh inside. Gardeners often choose this variety because of its perfect size and flavor.
27. Nectared 8 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | NA |
The Nectared 8 Nectarine is a firm variety perfect for baking or eating off the tree. The skin is usually redder than most other nectar varieties, and many people feel that it’s the most attractive Nectared Nectarine.
28. Nectared 9 Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | NA |
The Nectared 9 Nectarine is not as firm as the other nectared varieties, and it has bright red skin with yellow insides that contain splashes of red. It also has a space around the pit, which makes it easy to remove.
29. Panamint Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 20 to August 5 |
The Panamint Nectarine is a variety from California. It has bright red skin with a yellow interior. It’s a little smaller than several of the larger types but still has an enjoyable sweet taste.
30. Pioneer Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | N/A |
The Pioneer Nectarine is an older variety. It has primarily yellow skin with splashes of red and yellow fruit on the inside. It’s one of the sweeter varieties and is usually ready for harvest in mid-summer.
31. Red June Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 15 to June 30 |
The Red June Nectarine is a variety available for harvest from mid to late June. It has more of an acidic flavor than many of the other varieties, making it popular for marinades and salsa.
32. Rhone Gold Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 20 to August 3 |
The Rhone Gold Nectarine is one of the largest varieties on this list. It’s extremely sweet, with a primarily yellow color and red highlights. It’s a great choice for people who want a large harvest every year.
33. Ruby Grand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 20 to July 3 |
As the name suggests, the Ruby Grand Nectarine is a large red variety. The size helps with the extra-sweet taste, and it’s often ready for harvest early in the summer.
34. Silver Lode Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 10 to June 25 |
The Silver Load Nectarine is a small variety that’s ready for harvest in mid-June. It has red and yellow skin with very light-colored flesh inside. Despite its size, it has a good strong flavor.
35. Snow Queen Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | June 18 to July 1 |
The Snow Queen Nectarine is a large variety with light-colored fruit inside red-yellow skin. The seed is a bit larger than most other varieties, but it’s ready for harvest as early as mid-June and has a great flavor.
36. Southern Belle Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 13 to July 28 |
As the name suggests, the Southern Belle Nectarine is a popular variety in the southern states. The shape of the fruit causes it to look like a bell when it hangs in the tree. It has a great flavor and texture that works well in juices, pies, or when eating straight from the tree.
37. Stanwick Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | N/A |
The Stanwick Nectarine is a light-colored variety. The skin is usually yellow with only traces of red, and the fruit inside has an almost white color and may even have hints of green, which can fool people into thinking that it’s not ripe. It has a sweet flavor and a versatile texture.
38. Stark Red Gold Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 20 to August 3 |
The Stark Red Gold Nectarine is a large round variety with a strong nectarine flavor that works well in juices, salads, and pies. The large harvest is usually ready for picking in early August.
39. Stark Sunglo Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 20 to August 3 |
The Stark Sunglow Nectarine looks similar to the Stark Red Gold Nectarine but isn’t as large. You will also see more yellow or orange color in this variety, and the flavor isn’t as strong, making it a good choice for juicing.
40. Stribling Giant Free Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 10 to July 25 |
The Stribling Giant Free Nectarine is a giant variety with a sweet and enjoyable flavor. You can usually harvest it from mid- to late-July, when it produces a large harvest. It has shiny red skin with yellow patches.
41. Stribling Giant White Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 10 to July 25 |
The Stribling Giant White Nectarine is about the same size as the Stripling Giant Free Nectarine. However, the coloring is quite different. The fruit inside is white, and you will often find white patches on the skin.
42. Sun Grand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 13 to August 28 |
The Sun Grand Nectarine is a large variety with an enjoyable sweet taste. It has a huge pit, but since the fruit is so large, there is still plenty to eat. The tree produces a large harvest from mid- to late-August.
43. Sun Mist Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 1 to May 15 |
The Sun Mist Nectarine is a heat-loving variety that you can often find in the southern states. It has red skin with a yellow inside and a great flavor, making it a good choice if you live in a warm climate.
44. Sunraycer Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 1 to May 15 |
The Sunraycer Nectarine is a disease-resistant variety found in many grocery stores. It has red-yellow skin and yellow-orange insides, with a good all-around flavor.
45. Sun Red Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 15 to June 3 |
The Sun Red Nectarine is a small variety, and it has bright red skin with very little yellow and a sweet taste despite its size. It’s available early in the year and produces a good harvest.
46. Sun Grand 2W68W Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | August 13 to August 28 |
The Sun Grand 2W68W Nectarine is one of the newer varieties. Scientists designed a more versatile texture with this variety that will work in almost any recipe, from fruit juices to pies. It isn’t that firm, but it won’t break down while baking.
47. Arctic Jay Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | July 5 to July 20 |
The Arctic Jay Nectarine is a medium size fruit with a light color. The fruit is usually white and will have pink skin with white patches. Its size and flavor make it a popular choice in grocery stores.
48. Armking Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | N/A |
The Armking Nectarine is a variety that produces irregular fruit shapes. Since they don’t grow uniformly like other varieties, people often believe that they are damaged, but that’s simply how they grow. Despite the odd shape, the fruit has a sweet taste like other nectarines.
49. Early Sungrand Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 15 to June 3 |
The Early Sungrand Nectarine has a perfect oval shape and bright red skin with yellow fruit inside. It produces the fruit early in the season, so you can be eating an Early Sungrand nectarine in mid-May.
50. Sun Home Nectarine
| Maturity Date: | May 15 to June 3 |
The Sun Home Nectarine is a popular California variety that grows well across the southern states. It enjoys warm weather but will grow even better if it experiences cooler temperatures throughout the year.
51. Silver Gem
| Maturity Date: | June 18 to July 1 |
The Silver Gem nectarine gets its name from the white flesh inside. It has a medium size and a great taste that many people enjoy. Scientists are also experimenting with the Silver Gem, hoping to find ways to make the white fruit inside turn red.
52. Brigantine NJN 102
| Maturity Date: | July 20 to July 25 |
The Brigantine NJN 102 is a new nectarine variety. Scientists created it to produce a larger harvest, and a single tree can create a surprising number of nectarines. It has a slightly acidic flavor that makes it perfect for cooking.
53. Silverglo NJN 103
| Maturity Date: | NA |
The Silverglo NJN 103 is another new variety of nectarine. The fruit is extremely acidic, with a pinkish-red color perfect for use in marinades and salsa. It’s also resistant to disease and bacteria, making it easy to grow the tree and produce a large harvest.
54. Clingstone
| Maturity Date: | June 27 to July 7 |
The Clingstone Nectarine is a tasty variety with a large pit. The fruit is attached to the pit, so removing it can be a hassle, making it more difficult to use for cooking.
55. Redgold
| Maturity Date: | March 15 to April 15 |
Redgold Nectarines are a popular variety due to the large harvest that it produces. The skin of these nectarines has bright red and gold colors. It’s ready for harvest early in the year and is extremely versatile, perfect for desserts, juices, and more.
56. Zephyr
| Maturity Date: | August 13 to August 28 |
The Zephyr is a large white flesh nectarine. It produces a large harvest late in the season and has red skin with yellow patches. The flavor is perfect for juices or eating from the tree.
Tips for Growing Nectarines
- If planting your tree in a container, put it in a 15- to 20-gallon pot to prevent the roots from becoming constricted.
- Ensure that your nectarine tree gets at least 6 hours of full sunlight daily.
- Feed your plants a high phosphorus fertilizer early in the season to encourage a larger harvest.
- If you’re growing your nectarine tree in a pot, prune it to encourage the growth of horizontal branches. These types of branches will help the tree take on a shrub-like shape, increasing the size of your harvest.
Conclusion
Many different types of nectarine trees are available. The kind that you plant on your property depends on when you want the harvest to occur. Choose a variety with an early harvest if you want to enjoy your fruit in early spring, or pick a late harvest to enjoy your nectarines in the fall. Varieties that you harvest in midsummer often have the biggest crop, but almost any variety will likely provide you with more nectarines than you can eat.
Featured Image Credit: Patrick Fore, Unsplash
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