Pyrus communisFall. Medium-sharp perry pear. Southwest England, about 1820.
Too bitter for fresh eating but very good for making a strong aromatic perry. Also suitable for cooking. Medium acidity, low tannin. (SG 1.069) Small roundish-pyriform yellowish fruit with a reddish blush. Brandy was one of the pears used by James Marsden and Helen Woodman in the delicious perry we drank at their Gregg’s Pit Orchard in Herefordshire. Their press had a large flat grooved stone base that looked to be about 300 years old. It probably was.
Annual or tending to biennial. Medium-small spreading tree. Probably Z4. BACK! (2½–6' bare-root trees)
Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered
on or before March 7 will ship around March 31
through late April, starting with warmer areas and finishing in
colder areas. Orders placed after March 7 will
ship around late April through early-to-mid May, in the order in
which they were received.
Native to temperate Europe and Asia, pears can grow up to 100' tall in the wild. Many pear varieties are hardy in New England but tend to take longer to come into bearing than apples and might not bear every year. Farther south, pears tend to bear annually. Pick fruit when green and ripen it on the shelf. Or, for optimal eating, try this method, from Ed Fackler of Rocky Mountain Orchard: “…when fruits exhibit slight color changes, begin to test pressure (using your thumb) near the stem. When there is a slight ‘give,’ pick all the fruit, store at or near 35° for 7 or more days. Then remove them as needed, allow them to sit at room temps for 2–4 days which allows them to ripen to peak flavor.” Pears are on OHxF97 and will reach 25' or taller at maturity. (2½–6' trees)
Perry Pears Perry is fermented pear juice—the pear equivalent of hard cider. While you can ferment any pear juice, the best perry is made from small dry astringent varieties selected over the centuries just for that purpose. Most of these perry pears are not suitable for fresh eating or cooking. These trees are a good investment—they should live to be about 300 years old.
Asian Pears Pyrus pyrifolia
There are thousands of named Asian pear cultivars in China, where they have been grown for more than 2000 years. They bear young and are long-lived. Asian pears differ from European pears: they are crisper and very juicy, sweet and mild with a nutty background, and are roundish in shape. Because they set heavily, thin the crop once or even twice during the first two months after bloom to ensure large fruit. Leave about one fruit per spur. Unlike European pears, they should be tree-ripened. When the seeds are black, the pears are ready. They ripen in late summer and keep for several weeks with refrigeration.
Asian pears reach 15–20' at maturity.
Growing Pears
Soil: Prefers well-drained fertile soil.
Sun: Full.
Pollination:
European Pears We recommend planting a second variety for pollination, though some European pears may be self-pollinating. Bloom times are similar for all varieties we offer.
Asian Pears We recommend planting a second variety for pollination, though some Asian pears may be self-pollinating. Some European pears, notably Bartlett, will also act as pollinators.
