Peach branches are the branches of the peach tree, with multiple values including medicinal use and folk culture.

Peach branches are the branches of the peach tree, a deciduous small tree in the Rosaceae family. In the broad sense, they include both the living branches growing on the tree and the branch material left after pruning. The peach tree has a long history of cultivation in China and is very common in orchards and courtyards across the north and south, so peach branches are also an easily obtained source of branch material.

In terms of morphology, the twigs of the peach branch are slender and relatively smooth. New shoots are mostly green or tinged with a slight red blush, while older branches gradually turn reddish brown to grayish brown, with a relatively hard texture and a certain toughness. In spring, peach branches bloom before the leaves emerge, and the tips are covered with pinkish-white flowers, so flowering peach branches are also often cut as vase arrangements and have quite a good ornamental effect.

In terms of applications, peach branches hold a certain place in traditional medicine. The dried branches can be used as medicine after processing, and traditionally they are considered to have effects such as promoting blood circulation and dredging collaterals, and they generally need to be used in formulas under a physician's guidance. In addition, there has long been a folk belief that peach wood wards off evil, and peach branches are often hung or woven for various folk occasions; in horticultural production, robustly growing peach branches can also be used as scions for the grafting and propagation of peach trees and closely related species.

On common issues, winter pruning in orchards produces large quantities of peach branches. These branches can be dried and stored as firewood, or crushed, piled up, composted and returned to the field, which helps increase soil organic matter, but they should not be piled near the tree base for a long time, so as to avoid breeding pathogens and insect sources. If peach branches are collected for medicinal use, those that are dry, free of mold and free of insect damage are best, and specific usage and dosage should be consulted with a professional physician.