Galactica

Peach

Size

Large for a donut-type peach (specific figure not found)

Shape

Flat, donut/saucer/peento shape

Flavor

Sweet, aromatic, low-acid, mild/delicate

Texture

Freestone; white flesh, firm and juicy; pale yellow-cream skin with pink/red blush on the sun side

Ripening window

Late season (roughly early-mid August, benchmarked against Redhaven timing)

Best uses

Fresh eating, freezing; short storage life (under a month)

Pollination

Self-fertile - no pollinator needed

Tree size

10-15 ft tall x 8-12 ft spread, semi-upright with a rounded, dense canopy

Notes

Bred at NC State University's Sandhills Research Station, introduced 1998 (an unnamed Chinese saucer peach x NCN4 [Contender x Fantasia nectarine] cross - same breeding program as Contender, China Pearl, and Intrepid). Don't confuse with "Galaxy," a different, unrelated donut peach released 2003 out of Parlier, CA - the two names are frequently blurred online. Chill requirement ~800 hours, zones 5-8/9 - the highest chill requirement and arguably the weakest zone 8a fit of this group. Susceptible to both bacterial spot and brown rot, a real concern in humid Texas summers. Like other donut-type peaches, the flat shape is prone to splitting after rain and bruises easily; one nursery notes flatly that "donut peaches are bred for shape and flavor, not disease resistance." Large, showy, cold-hardy red-purple blooms.