Silver Creek Nursery Ltd.

Contender Peach Scionwood

Scionwood is not a tree, yet!

Scionwood, or scions (pronounced 'sigh-ons'), are the young, one-year shoots you graft with in order to propagate a variety. If you want to propagate a Gala apple tree, for example, you would graft with Gala scionwood!

We collect these scions from trees in our test orchards and are happy to be able to offer rare/heritage varieties!

For more information on scionwood and grafting, click HERE!

History: Contender was developed at the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1988. It is one of several peaches developed by the station with the goal of creating late-blooming varieties that are better able to avoid spring frosts

Why We Grow It: Contender is a good-quality cold hardy peach. It produces large, freestone peaches with a sweet flavour that are great for eating fresh off the tree. The fruit is firm and slow to brown, also making it an excellent option for canning and freezing.

$8.50

Propagation Material:

8 low in stock

Fruit Traits:

Recommended Use: Fresh eating, canning, freezing

Fruit Size: Large

Storage: Keeps about a week in the fridge

Harvest: September - Early

Plant Traits:

Canadian Hardiness Zone: 4

Flowering Time: Late

Pollination Requirements: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without a peach tree of a different variety but will produce more and better fruit if one is present

Sun/Shade Requirements: Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)

General Growth Habit: Cold hardy and resistant to bacterial leaf spot

Shipping: Scionwood can be shipped anytime in the spring, although we generally recommend that customers receive their scionwood by mid-April at the latest to ensure it arrives dormant. We can hold it longer if customers accept the risk that the scionwood may start breaking dormancy after this time.

Pickup: We will notify you as soon as your scionwood is ready. We recommend picking it up as soon as you are able and storing it at home.

Click HERE for tips on storing scionwood!

CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.

Each scion will have at least 2-4 grafts' worth of material and ideally will be approximately 12-18" or 30cm+ long. Since we specialize in so many varieties/species, there will be natural differences in growth habit and vigour so some varieties may be shorter or thinner. We will provide the best quality we can, within natural restraints.

If a scion is less than 6" or 15cm, it will be discounted accordingly.

Purchasing Bareroot

New to bareroot? We've got you covered on what to expect when ordering bareroot plants

Visit the Blog

Full of orchard education, fun recipes, and other fruit related content!

We are here for you!

Over the last 16 years we have helped thousands of orchardists begin their journey. Questions? Just ask!

Our Standards

We are committed to growing the healthiest, finest plants. Read about our growing standards. It all matters.