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Item Number: FT132

Honey Kist Nectarine Tree

One of the Most Delicious Nectarines

Bare Root Tree Savings

Mix and match eligible bare root trees:

  • Buy 3, save 5%
  • Buy 10, save 15%
  • Buy 6 and receive free standard shipping

Lower 48 only. Discounts and shipping thresholds are calculated separately from potted plants and perennials. See complete shipping details.

Honey Kist Nectarine Tree is an unusually approachable nectarine for people who love intense sweetness but prefer less sharp acidity. Its freestone fruit develops reddish-orange skin mottled with golden yellow, creating a warm, glowing appearance around yellow flesh. The flavor is high in sugar and subacid, so even fruit picked while still fairly firm can taste pleasantly sweet rather than harsh or under-ripe. That wider eating window makes Honey Kist convenient for a home harvest: gardeners can begin enjoying the crop before every nectarine softens at once, while later fruit becomes increasingly juicy and aromatic. Smooth skin and firm flesh make it excellent for fresh eating, lunchboxes, fruit plates, baking, and freezing. For shoppers seeking dessert-like sweetness, attractive fruit, and flexibility at picking time, Honey Kist offers a distinctive alternative to more tart traditional nectarines. Honey Kist originated in the Zaiger Genetics nectarine-breeding program in California.

Plant Honey Kist in full sun with well-drained soil and good airflow. Water deeply during establishment and fruit development, prune annually, and thin crowded clusters to improve fruit size and protect branches.

Honey Kist is self-fruitful and capable of bearing alone. Another compatible peach or nectarine may encourage pollinator activity and support fruit set.

Honey Kist Nectarine Tree Details

  • Fruit: Reddish-orange and yellow mottled freestone nectarine with yellow flesh
  • Flavor and texture: High sugar, subacid, firm when picked, and increasingly juicy as it ripens
  • Best uses: Fresh eating, lunchboxes, fruit plates, baking, and freezing
  • Pollination: Self-fruitful; another compatible stone fruit may support pollinator activity and fruit set.
  • Recommended companions: Pair with Double Delight Nectarine for brighter acidity or Snow Queen Nectarine for white-fleshed sweetness.
  • Special care: Begin tasting while fruit is still firm; subacid nectarines can be enjoyable before they soften fully.
  • Something special: Honey Kist was among the highest-scoring fruits in a blind taste evaluation at Dave Wilson Nursery.

Orchard Planning Resources

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$64.99
/each
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Check Your Zone Compatibility:

Shipping Information

Ships from Northern CA.

Cannot ship to the following states: HI, AK, PR, GU, VI

Shipping Weight: 5.0 lb

Dimensions: 47.5"L x 7.3"W x 2.75"H

Features

  • Bare Root
  • Patented Variety
  • Self-fruitful

Characteristics

USDA Growing Zone: 6 - 9
Approximate Harvest Time : Early Summer
Chill Hours Needed : 500 hours
Planting Time : Winter
Time to Fruit Production : 1 Year
Tree Size : Semi-dwarf

Planting & Care

Useful Information

Guarantee

Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee

* Claim deadline is June 15th

We guarantee that your dormant tree or plant will arrive in good, viable condition. If your tree arrives in substandard condition, notify us within 3 days of delivery. Please email pictures of the box, inside packaging, the tree and its roots to helpdesk@groworganic.com.  We will investigate your claim and process a request to exchange or refund the damaged product.

If your dormant tree or plant has not grown new leaves by June 15th, you may be eligible for our Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee. This guarantee provides for a store credit for the purchase price of the tree, excluding shipping. Please see the Instructions below.

Important Dates:

  • April 1st Dormant trees/plants must be planted in the ground
  • May 15th Perform scratch test, if no new leaves have grown
  • June 15th Deadline to apply for a dormant tree/plant credit

All required documentation must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. Claims or documentation received after June 15th will be denied, without exception. Instructions listed below

Terms and Conditions

We cannot guarantee that your tree or plant will remain alive and healthy after it is received, or bear fruit as there are too many variables in your environment that are beyond our control (i.e. soil preparation, weed and pest control, proper irrigation, chill hours, compatible hardiness for your growing zone, proper choice of pollinator, extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, etc.). 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a replacement tree/plant of the same species either that same growing season or in future years. Customers are responsible for all shipping fees associated with replacement trees and plants. 

If we determine that the tree you purchased directly from us is not viable, we will issue you a store credit (not a refund) for the purchase price of the affected dormant tree or plant. Shipping is not included in the dormant tree/plant guarantee. Store credits can be used to purchase any product we sell and are valid for use only until July 1st of the following year.

Historically, 98% of our dormant trees and plants grow and thrive when they have been cared for and planted using our growing guides. Dormant trees and plants must be planted in the ground by April 1st in order to be eligible for credit. If the ground in your area is still frozen solid, you may temporarily plant your tree or plant in a pot. 

Potted, non-dormant trees or plants are excluded from this guarantee as they are not dormant at the time of shipment. Evergreen trees such as citrus, avocado and olive trees are not available for credit under the Dormant Tree and Plant Guarantee. 

Instructions

We guarantee that your dormant fruit tree or plant will leaf out, if you care for it according to our growing guides. In the unlikely event that your dormant tree or plant does not have leaves by May 15th, follow these simple steps to apply for a store credit:

Before you call or email, please perform a “scratch test” to determine if the tree or plant is still alive. This video shows how to check for live tissue under the bark. Scratch tests need to be done a few inches above and below the graft. 

Green Cambium Layer / Living Trees

If the cambium layer under the bark is green, give your tree a little more time. It is still alive, but hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. Check to make sure that it is getting the right amount of deep root water, enough sunlight and that the weather is warm enough for that type of tree/plant to come out of dormancy. Every tree has its own personality and will come out of dormancy at different times. Be sure to submit the required documentation listed below by June 15th, if it doesn’t grow leaves.

Brown Cambium Layer / Dead Trees

If the scratch test shows a brown cambium layer or if your dormant tree/plant doesn’t have leaves by June 1st, please email us at helpdesk@groworganic.com. All required documentation listed below must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. To be considered for the guarantee claim, all required documentation must be received by June 15th.  Incomplete submissions will be denied.

Required Documentation

  1. Order number
  2. Name of dormant tree/plant and the quantity affected
  3. Photos of each tree or plant showing: 
    1. The roots (tree or plant must be pulled out of the ground)
    2. The scratch test areas
    3. The entire tree/plant

We reserve the right to not issue credit for items that have already been replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence that the tree/plant was not killed by root rot, rodent or mechanical damage.

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