Fruit Tree
Arctic Star Nectarine
Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Arctic Star' · Rosaceae
Also called: Arctic Star White Nectarine, Low-Chill White Nectarine
Arctic Star Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Arctic Star') is a moderate-water fruit tree well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a fast growth rate. Expect pink blooms February.
Arctic Star Nectarine at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours).
- Mature size
- About 12-15 ft tall and wide; easily kept to 8-10 ft with pruning.
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Pink, Blooms February; fruit ripens very early, late May to early June in the low desert.
- Cold hardiness
- Deciduous, cold-hardy in USDA 9a-9b. Early bloom occasionally vulnerable to late frost.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; amend caliche and plant on a slight mound. Tolerates alkaline Tucson soils with iron supplementation.
- Native range
- Garden cultivar (Dave Wilson Nursery); nectarine is a fuzzless form of Prunus persica, native to China.
- Best used as
- Fresh eating, Edible landscape, Backyard orchard
- Wildlife
- Early blossoms feed bees; ripe fruit attracts birds.
- Toxicity
- Pits, leaves, and bark contain cyanogenic compounds toxic to dogs, cats, and horses; fruit flesh is edible. Keep pits from pets.
How to grow Arctic Star Nectarine in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deep, infrequent watering to ~3 ft: about every 7-10 days in summer, every 2-3 weeks spring/fall, monthly in winter; water more often the first two seasons. Steady moisture during spring fruit development is critical for size.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Nitrogen (ammonium sulfate) in split applications after bloom/fruit set through early summer; stop by midsummer. Iron/zinc chelate for alkaline-soil chlorosis.
Pruning & care
Prune annually in winter dormancy (Dec-Jan); like peaches, nectarines fruit on last year's wood, so remove ~half of prior-season growth and keep an open-center form to renew fruiting wood and control size.
Notes
Proven low-desert producer - low ~300 chill hour requirement and self-fruitful, so it crops reliably in Tucson. Snow-white, low-acid, super-sweet semi-freestone flesh with dark red skin; one of the earliest nectarines to ripen. Susceptible to thrips scarring on skin (cosmetic) - fruit is still fine to eat. Thin fruit 4-6 in apart; whitewash trunk to prevent sunburn. Plant bare-root Dec-Feb.
Sources: Dave Wilson Nursery - Arctic Star White Nectarine: https://www.davewilson.com/nurseries/products/fruit-trees/nectarine-white/arctic_star/; Desert Shade Nursery - Arctic Star White Nectarine: https://desertshadenursery.com/fruit-trees/arctic-star-nectarine/; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Deciduous Fruit and Nuts for the Low Desert (az1269): https://extension.arizona.edu/publication/deciduous-fruit-and-nuts-low-desert