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Pyrus communis sativa

Common name:	Pear	Family:	Rosaceae
Author:	DC.	Botanical references:
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	A garden cultivar, probably derived from P. communis, P. cordata and P. nivalis[11].
Habitat:	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	5	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	communis = common sativa = cultivated
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Rose family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 5m. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 5/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked. The flavour ranges from rather harsh and astringent (cultivars used for making alcoholic drinks) through to soft, sweet and very juicy. The best dessert fruits have an exquisite sweet flavour, usually with a very soft flesh, whilst cooking varieties have harder less sweet flesh[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Dye Wood.

A yellow-tan dye is obtained from the leaves[106, 115].
Wood - heavy, tough, durable, fine grained, hard. Used by cabinet and instrument makers[11, 61, 100, 149]. When covered with black varnish it is an excellent ebony substitute[74].

Cultivation details

Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils[200]. Tolerates light shade but does not fruit so well in such a position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution, excessive moisture and a range of soil types if they are moderately fertile, though plants can become chlorotic on very alkaline soils[200]. Established plants are drought tolerant[200].
Very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to below -15° c[200].
Widely cultivated for its edible fruit in temperate areas, there are many named varieties that can provide fruit from late July to April or May of the following year. This is the collective name for all the pear cultivars that have been derived from P. communis, probably through hybridization with P. cordata and P. nivalis.
Where space is at a premium, or at the limits of their climatic range, pears can be grown against a wall. Most cultivars will grow well against a sunny south or west facing wall but, because of their relatively early flowering, they are not really suitable for north or east facing walls[219].
Most cultivars are not self-fertile and a number of cultivars have incompatible pollen, so care must be taken to ensure the provision of a suitable pollen partner[200].
Trees grow less well in grass, root secretions from the grass inhibiting the root growth of the pear[201].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1° c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[200]. Temperatures over 15 - 20° c induce a secondary dormancy in the seed[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. The seed of pear cultivars will not usually breed true to type.

Cultivars

'Winter Nellis' 'Bon de Malines': A small to medium size dessert pear, the flesh is smooth, very juicy, sweet, richly flavoured and aromatic[38, 39, 183]. Eat the fruit whilst the skin is still green[41]. The quality is very good, it ripens late and stores well[183]. In season November to February. A hardy spreading productive tree[183]. Of weak growth[38]. Requires a warm sunny position[39], and is best grown on a pear rootstock[38]. Full flower day 22. Harvest the fruit in late October.
'Southfields'
'Jargonelle' 'English Jargonelle': A dessert pear, it is very tender, juicy and sweet with a slight musky flavour[38, 39]. In season August. Of straggling growth with long straggling branches, it crops heavily when properly established[38, 39, 40]. Grows well as a standard[38]. An extremely hardy tree[39], it succeeds on a north wall[38, 40, 41]. Resists scab[39, 40]. A triploid, so it cannot be relied upon to fertilize other cultivars[38]. A tip bearer[38]. Full flower day 16. Harvest the fruit in August.
'Hessle': A dessert pear, it is juicy and a little sweet with a pleasant flavour but of no distinction[38, 40]. In season September and October. A vigorous upright tree, spreading with age, it crops very well[38, 41]. A very hardy tree, it succeeds in the north of Britain and is disease free[38, 40]. Full flower day 19. Harvest the fruit in September.
'Conference': A medium to large dessert pear, the flesh is melting, very juicy and sweet with a pleasant flavour[38, 183]. In season October to November. A moderately vigorous fairly compact upright tree that spreads with age, it is very productive even when young[38, 40, 183]. Succeeds almost anywhere[38]. Subject to canker, the tree no longer resists scab[38]. Full flower day 17. A partially self-fertile cultivar, it also produces fruit parthenocarpically (without the need for fertilization)[38]. Harvest the fruit at the end of September.
'Catillac': A very large dual purpose fruit, the flesh is hard and rough[183]. Considered to be the best culinary pear, it ripens very late and will keep until the spring[183]. It becomes acceptable for dessert in the spring[38, 39]. In season December to May. A spreading vigorous tree with a weeping habit, it is productive and very hardy[38, 39, 40, 183]. Light pruning increases the tendency to weep[38]. Resists scab[40]. Makes a good standard tree[38]. A triploid, it cannot be relied upon to pollinate other cultivars. Full flower day 20. Harvest the fruit in late October or November.

Suppliers

Plants For A Future is working with the following groups to try and make these plants easily available. Parts of the proceeds will be donated to so please mention us when ordering.

Cool Temperate Nurseries: 10 Ivy Grove
Nottingham
NG7 7LZ
Email: philcorbett53@hotmail.com
Phone 0115 847 8302 Fax 0115 847 8302
Distribution: UK
How to order: Direct from Cool Temperate by email/phone
Notes: Many Trees supplied on their own rootstock
Last Updated: April 03
Item: Pyrus communis sativa (Pear)
8 varities

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[106] Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Interesting reading but short on detail.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[149] Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987 ISBN 0-292-78958-3
Fairly readable, it gives details of habitats and some of the uses of trees growing in Texas.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

Readers Comments

Plant Passporting

Rich (michael@thewitchshaven.com) Wed Sep 26 16:58:15 2001

This information has been taken from DEFRA Guide to Plant Passporting. Which places restrictions on plants which can be traded in the UK and the EU mainly because they are carriers for pests and diseases.

Beta vulgaris (Beet), Chaenomeles (Ornamental quince, Japonica), Citrus (Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.), Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster), Crataegus (Hawthorn), Cydonia (Quince), Eriobotrya (Includes loquat), Fortunella and hybrids (Kumquat), Humulus lupulus (Hop (including ornamentals)), Malus (Apple (including ornamentals)), Mespilus (Medlar), Poncirus and hybrids (Ornamental citrus), Prunus (other than Prunus laurocerasus and Prunus lusitanica) (Includes almond, apricot, cherry, damson, greengage, nectarine, peach, plum, sloe and ornamental/flowering varieties), Pyracantha (Firethorn), Pyrus (Pear (including ornamentals)), Solanum (stolon or tuber forming types) (Potato), Sorbus (other than Sorbus intermedia) (Includes rowan and whitebeam), Stranvaesia (Stranvaesia), Vitis (Grape, includes grape vine and ornamental grape).

Many other plants require pasporting for commercial growers, these include Abies, Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa, Allium porrum, Allium schoenoprasum, Apium graveolens, Plants of the family Araceae, Argyranthemum, Aster, Brassica, Castanea, Capsicum annuum, Cucumis, Dendranthema, Dianthus and hybrids, Euphorbia, Exacum, Fragaria, Gerbera, Gypsophila, Helianthus annuus, Impatiens (all varieties of New Guinea hybrids), Lactuca, Larix, Leucanthemum, Lupinus, Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Plants of the family Marantaceae, Medicago sativa, Plants of the family Musaceae, Nicotiana, Pelargonium, Persea, Phaseolus, Picea, Pinus, Platanus, Populus, Prunus laurocerasus and Prunus lusitanica, Pseudotsuga, Quercus, Rubus, Plants of the family Solanaceae (other than plants of stolon or tuber forming species of Solanum and their hybrids), Solanum melongena, Spinacia, Plants of the family Strelitziaceae, Tanacetum, Tsuga, Verbena.

Cross references: Plants: Beta vulgaris, Humulus lupulus. Genera: Chaenomeles, Citrus, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Cydonia, Eriobotrya, Fortunella, Malus, Mespilus, Poncirus, Prunus, Pyracantha, Pyrus, Solanum, Sorbus, Stranvaesia, Vitis.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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