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The peach originated in China and was traded along the Silk Route, a road that connected China to the West. By the late 1500s, the fruit arrived in the southern islands of the United States where it began its journey to becoming the state fruit of Georgia.
In the late 1860s, Georgia farmers were looking to produce a crop other than cotton. The peach was already grounded in the culture and the soil.
Almost 150 million pounds of peaches are produced annually bringing over $70 million to the Georgia economy, leading the peach to be crowned official state fruit in 1995.
– Amanda Fox, The Georgia 100