Pyrus / Pear
pyrus / pear (fruit)
Pear have long been a popular fruit of consumption. Whether canning or fresh eating the fruits of the pear are generally always sweet, and have a nice texture. Many of the large fruiting pear varieties are tender as far as their cold tolerance goes for our northern climate but there are a few what are deemed "ornamental" pear varieties that do tolerate our cold pretty well. The other challenge associated with pear is there desire to wake up early in the season. Because of this there are some seasons where we experience late frosts (early May) that can damage the young flowers and it may prevent fruit production that season. Check out our selection of Pear varieties below.
GOLDEN SPICE PEAR
Pyrus 'Golden Spice'
A very hardy pear. The 1.75" fruit are a medium yellow, lightly blushed with dull red and ripen mid-season. Good for canning and spicing, fair for eating.
Ripens: Mid to Late August
Recommended Pollinators:
Ure, Parker, Patten
Height: 15 - 20 ft
Spread: 8 - 12 ft
USDA Zone: 3 - 7
parker pear
Height: 12 - 15 ft
Spread: 8 - 12 ft
USDA Zone: 3 - 7
Pyrus 'Parker'
1934 University of Minnesota introduction. Open-pollinated seedling of a Manchurian pear. Large, yellow-bronze fruit. Fine grained, tender and juicy. Upright and vigorous grower.
Ripens: Mid to Late August
Recommended Pollinators:
Patten, Ure Golden Spice
PATTEN PEAR
Height: 12 - 15 ft
Spread: 8 - 12 ft
USDA Zone: 3 - 7
Pyrus 'Patten'
Fruit is of good size and quality. Very tender and juicy. A good pollinator for most other pear trees.
Ripens: Mid to Late August
Recommended Pollinators:
Parker, Ure, Golden Spice
“Perhaps the best thing you can do for your pear tree is to put down a thick layer of mulch as it gets close to winter.”
URE PEAR
Height: 15 - 20 ft
Spread: 15 - 18 ft
USDA Zone: 3 - 8
Pyrus x ussuriensis 'Ure'
Hardy upright growth habit. Large very showy flowers in spring followed by small greenish fruit used in jams and preserves. Ripens in mid August. Can be used as a street tree. Glossy green foliage turns purplish bronze in fall.
Ripens: Mid to Late August
Recommended Pollinators:
Golden Spice, Patten, Parker
CARE: POSITIVES & DRAWBACKS
POSITIVES:
Whether you're intending to grow these trees for fruit consumption or just as an ornamental tree for wildlife, pear really are a fairly tough tree. They also generally have a rich gold to bronze-red fall color adding a nice interest to your landscape.
Perhaps the best thing you can do for your pear tree is to put down a thick layer of mulch as it gets close to winter. Helping to insulate the ground from warming and thawing in early spring will keep the tree from waking up too early and being subject to frost damage.
DRAWBACKS:
Pear are somewhat tender in our climate and while the Manchurian varieties tolerate the cold far better than most it is possible to have some winter die-back on these trees.
PRUNING:
The optimal pruning time for Pear trees is late winter and early spring before leaves emerge.
For more on identifying old wood and new wood see our page on care of woody plants.