Pyrus pyrifolia
Asian pear
Overview
Pyrus pyrifolia is a deciduous tree reaching 25-45 feet (7.5-14 m) tall and 20-30 feet (6-9 m) wide when unpruned, held to 10-15 feet (3-4.5 m) under orchard training. Bark is grey-brown and shallowly fissured, and branches are upright to spreading with short fruiting spurs. Leaves are ovate to oblong-ovate, 3-5 inches (8-13 cm) long and 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) wide, with bristle-tipped marginal teeth, glossy dark green above, turning bronze-red to purple-red in autumn. White flowers 1-1.4 inches (2.5-3.5 cm) across open in clusters of 6-9 as the leaves emerge, each with about 20 stamens carrying purple-red anthers. Fruit is round to slightly flattened, 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) in diameter, with russet-brown to yellow-green skin, white flesh that stays crisp and gritty with stone cells, and 5-10 seeds. Fruit ripens on the tree between August and October, 130-170 days after bloom, and does not soften after picking. Trees bear from the fourth year and remain productive 30-50 years. Fire blight kills spurs and shoot tips in warm wet springs, thinning to one fruit per cluster is needed to reach full fruit size, and open flowers are damaged below 28F (-2C).
Native Range
Native to central and southern China, extending to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Grows in mixed forest and on hill slopes from near sea level to 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Cultivated in China for more than two thousand years and in Japan since at least the eighth century, where the round, russeted cultivar groups were developed.Suggested Uses
Grown in home gardens and commercial orchards at 15-20 foot (4.5-6 m) spacing on seedling rootstock, or 10-12 feet (3-3.7 m) on P. betulifolia. Trees on size-controlling rootstock grow in containers of at least 25 gallons (95 L), with cropping reduced after 6-8 years as roots fill the volume. Spring bloom and autumn foliage colour extend garden interest beyond the fruit season, though fire blight pressure limits use in regions with warm wet springs.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height25' - 45'
Width/Spread20' - 30'
Bloom Information
Flowers open late March to April in zones 6-8, and in early March in zone 9. Bloom lasts 7-12 days on a tree, compressed to 5-6 days by temperatures above 70F (21C). Chilling requirement is 450-900 hours below 45F (7C), so bloom is delayed or irregular in zones 9-10. Many cultivars are partly self-incompatible and set 5-15 percent of flowers without a compatible pollinizer within 50 feet (15 m).
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white with purple-red anthersFoliage Description
glossy dark green, turning bronze-red to purple-red in autumnGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Water 15-20 gallons (57-76 L) per week per mature tree during fruit development in the absence of rain; drought in the final 6 weeks before harvest reduces fruit diameter by 15-25 percent. Nitrogen is applied at low rates, 0.05-0.1 pound (23-45 g) actual N per year of tree age, because rapid shoot growth increases fire blight susceptibility. Fruit is thinned to one per cluster at 0.5-0.8 inch (1.2-2 cm) diameter, spaced 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) along the branch. Fire blight enters open flowers in warm wet weather above 65F (18C), blackening spurs and shoot tips that then bend into a crook. Pear psylla, codling moth, and pear scab occur across the growing range. Trees in soil with a water table above 24 inches (60 cm) decline within 3-5 seasons.Pruning
Trees are trained to a central leader, or in Japan and Korea to a horizontal trellis at about 6 feet (1.8 m), with fruiting spurs renewed on a 4-6 year cycle. Dormant pruning in late winter removes 20-30 percent of one-year wood, since fruit forms on spurs 2-6 years old rather than on the previous season shoots. Cuts made in wet spring weather admit fire blight bacteria, so pruning is timed to dry conditions. Blighted shoots are cut 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) below visible discolouration, with tools disinfected between cuts.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winterearly spring
Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 25 gallons