Peaches are fruits of the peach tree, Prunus persica. Peach trees are native to northwest China, although today they are grown worldwide in temperate regions. Peaches and nectarines are actually the same fruit, even though they have different names and one has fuzzy skin while the other has smooth skin. All peaches are descended from the wild Chinese peach. Peaches can survive cold winter temperature, but once they bloom, the blossoms can't stand a sudden frost or they will drop off before fertilization takes place. China remains the world's largest peach grower.