My Birthday Tree, One Year Old Now! (should I give it a name?)

Last year about this time, I went to North Carolina to visit my son, David and his wife Suzi and their kids, Abby and Tyler.  When I got there, Suzi and I decided to go on an impromptu trip to Charleston SC since neither of us had been there and we know/hoped that they would only be in North Carolina for another year. 

When we were in Charleston, we did a tour of the city and I found a tree there that was in bloom and I fell in love with it. 

Sweet Suzi and the kids in Charleston

Lunch at Bubba Gumps

  It is a flowering peppermint peach tree and it is GORGEOUS!!!  The blossoms were beautiful but they also had 4-5 different colors of blossoms on one tree!  I have never seen anything like it. 

My first glimpes of this AMAZING  tree- the flowering peppermint peach tree!

When we got back to our hotel, I did a search on the tree and found that it was “zoned” to grow in zones 6-10.  Well, fantastic, Arizona is Zone 9, so I knew I had to get one.  Well, I did.  I ordered one for my Birthday present from my husband and son.  They were relieved not to have to go shopping for me (hehehe).  I had to order one since there weren’t any in the Phoenix area.  I got it from Willis Orchards in Georgia.  It came, I planted it, and the wait began! (http://www.willisorchards.com/product/Peppermint+Flowering+Peach?category=280 )

Well, it has been almost a year and my first blossoms are out!  It was so exciting and beautiful.  I have literally been out talking to my tree for the entire year, coaxing it through the long hot AZ summer (I did put a shade clothe over it for some of the hottest months), kept it company throughout the COLD winter (yes it is cold for me!) and now I have my reward!  Just look at these “baby” blossoms! 

so precious!

the magenta blossom

all together

My tree just starting to get it's blossom and leaves! 

I hope everyone that comes by and sees it will want one and plant it so all of Mesa will have these beautiful trees everywhere! 

I do know that they are prone to fungus, at least that is what I have read, but I am willing to baby this tree because it is worth it for even 3-4 weeks of these beautiful blossoms! 

I found this picture on the internet and the tree is approximately 20 years old. 

Spread the word about this tree!