Tree
Common pear
Pyrus communis
A deciduous tree with white spring blossom and fruit ripening in summer or autumn, depending on the cultivar. The species grows large; orchard cultivars on selected rootstocks can be much smaller. Crops also depend on pollination and weather.
- Size
- 8–12 m high · 4–8 m wideVaries by cultivar
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Winter
- Hardy
- Seasonal form
- Deciduous
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Before planting
- Choose a sunny, sheltered site with deep, well-drained soil that retains moderate moisture. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged ground.
- The 8–12 m range describes a large tree, not every orchard cultivar. Check the cultivar, rootstock and training method before planting.
- Good crops usually need a compatible cultivar flowering at the same time. Self-fertile and partly self-fertile cultivars also exist.
Why choose it
- White blossom makes a distinctive spring display.
- Cultivar choice lets you select the ripening season and intended use of the fruit.
Care
- Water young trees during establishment and drought; avoid keeping roots in standing water.
- Free-standing and trained trees need different pruning: free-standing trees are usually pruned in winter, while trained forms also need summer pruning.
- Consider thinning fruit when the crop is very heavy. Adapt care to the cultivar and training method.
Good to know
- The tree's winter hardiness does not protect open flowers from late frost.
- Seed-grown offspring do not reliably retain a fruit cultivar's traits. Choose named nursery stock for predictable fruiting.