桃屬落葉喬木，原產中國。樹高3~8m，小枝綠或紫紅色。互生披針形葉，長7~15cm，寬2~3.5cm，先端漸尖，葉緣有鋸齒。花單生，花梗很短，花先葉開放，但在臺灣常見花葉齊放。萼有柔毛。花瓣橢圓形或倒卵形，粉紅色、桃紅色或白色，花徑3~5cm。果用品種花瓣大多5瓣，觀花品種大多重瓣。核果卵圓形或扁圓形，密被短柔毛，亦有光滑的油桃類品種。果肉厚而多汁，有香味，甜或酸甜。開花期1~2月，結果期6~9月。

A deciduous tree in the genus Prunus, native to China. Tree height 3-8m, branches green or purple. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, 7-15 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide, apex tapering and margin serrated. Flowers solitary, pedicel extremely short, flowers bloom before leaves emerging, but in Taiwan, common to see flowers and leaves emerging at the same time. Calyx pilose. Petals oval or obovate, pink, fuchsia or white, flower 3-5 cm across. The varieties grown for the fruits mostly bear 5 petals, while floral ornamental varieties are double-flowered. Drupe oval or oblate, densely pubescent; some nectarine varieties producing smooth drupes. Pulp thick, juicy, aromatic, with sweet and acid taste. Flowering from January to February, and fruiting from June to September.

適合全日照且冷涼的環境，根系忌積水。一般不進行大幅度的修剪，以免使植株生長衰弱而容易罹患流膠病等病害。繁殖使用播種、嫁接法。

It suitably grows in a full sun and cold environment and is sensitive to waterlogging in the roots. Large-scale pruning will weaken the plant and make it prone to diseases such as gum disease. Propagated by seeds and grafting.

重瓣品種花朵美豔，單瓣品種花朵清雅且果實可食用。

The double-flowered varieties produce showy flowers while the single-flowered ones are grown for the elegant flowers and edible fruits.