PEARS

Throughout my early teens, I was a babysitter. When I was not caring for my youngest brother and sister, I was babysitting neighbor kids. I don't know how it goes these days, but babysitters back then were expected to do chores after the children were put to bed... dishwashing, laundry, vacuuming. After chores, I would do homework. Some couples would stay out quite late socializing with friends until 1 or 2 AM.  To stay awake, I would flip on the television. Not many channels or choices. There were talk shows, late movies and late, late movies... westerns, war movies and musicals. It is a corny song from one of those musicals that sometimes pops into my head, even still, when I am really happy about something. I must have resorted to watching this particular musical a dozen or more times. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire starred in the movie. They were about as old as my parents. While they waltzed around, Fred was singing, "Heaven, I'm in Heaven..." 

That's the song I found myself singing when I saw pears ripening on our pear trees for the very first time!

YES, I LOVE PEARS.  So, in the spring of 2013, I did some research about pears. Depending on variety and conditions, it can take up to 20 years to produce a healthy crop. The research made it clear that growing pear trees is not a sensible choice for impatient people. I thought about it and decided that I am a reasonably patient person. And, I reasoned that if we do not live long enough to see pears hanging on our trees, the next occupants of our home would have a head start. 

So, I ordered seven different varieties of pear trees and planted them. Below are the names, descriptions and photos of the three varieties that produced full-sized, delicious fruit seven years later in the fall of 2020. As threatening as the year 2020 has been with horrible weather and a pandemic, we are still alive and well... and enjoying the wonderful flavor of pears! "Heaven, I'm in Heaven..."

Doyenne de Juillet 

(Pyrus communis L.)

'Doyenne de Juillet', translates into Duchess of July/Summer. This European variety originated in Belgium and was purchased from Raintree Nursery. 

There were hundreds of spring blooms on both 'Doyenne de Juillet' and the pear tree nearby 'Bella di Giugno.' I have to assume that only a fairly small percentage of the blooms on both trees were visited by the same pollinators.  About 50 fruits developed and ripened by the end of August on 'Doyenne de Juillet.' It was probably just as well that only a small number of pears grew. The tree is not yet big and strong.

As for 'Bella di Giugno' nearby, the story is sad. Very early in the season, over 100 very tiny pears glistened on its' branches. The day after I celebrated this discovery, we were hit with very cold rain and strong winds. Every single little pear ended up on the ground underneath 'Bella di Giugno.' So much for frontrunners in this part of the world!

The smallish fruit of 'Doyenne de Juillet' above gradually ripened from green to pale yellow with a red blush on the sunny side. The mature pear has white, juicy, sweet, flavorful flesh. 

Harrow Delight 

(Pyrus communis L.)

'Harrow Delight' originated in the Research Station in Harrow, Ontario, Canada and was introduced to the world in 1982. Our bare root start was purchased from Raintree Nursery in 2013.

About 25 fruits appeared on our 'Harrow Delight' pear tree early in the season and gradually matured by the end of September.

When ready to eat, this medium-sized, cold-hardy pear is juicy and 

so delicious.

Shipova 

(xSorbus auricularis)

Originating in France centuries ago, the 'Shipova' pear was imported into the United States from Yugoslavia in 1959. Botanically rare, an intergeneric hybrid, 'Shipova' is a cross between the two different genera Sorbus and Pyrus. The specific varieties crossed were probably the Common European Pear and the Whitebeam Pear. Because Mountain Ash is also in the Sorbus family, it has been mistakenly claimed as one of the parents. Consequently, it is not surprising to see catalogs and tags with the following false or confusing taxonomies for 'Shipova' including the following:

        Pyrus tomentosa

        Bollwilleria auricularis

        Azarolis pollvilleriana

        Sorbus bollwylleriana

        Sorbus aucuparia x pyrus

The three 'Shipova' trees I purchased from three different nurseries in 2013 had three different taxonomies!

The three nurseries:
            One Green World
            Raintree Nursery
            Rolling River Nursery

       

        

'Shipova' pear trees are famous for taking as many as 15 years to bear fruit. Wasn't I surprised and thrilled to see the 'Shipova' from Rolling River Nursery wearing lots of blooms in the spring of 2020! 

The big question... will fruit follow? 

 

Although 'Shipova' is described as self-fertile (does not need another pear variety nearby for cross-pollination), it sometimes produces larger crops if planted near pear trees blooming at the same time. This 'Shipova' happens to be near another 'Shipova' as well as the 'Harrow Delight.' They all had blooms at the same time! Feeling hopeful.                

'Shipova' pear trees generally grow to a height of about 20 feet tall. The shape is similar to a pyramid... thus requiring little to no pruning.

The leaves have a silver colored down on the underside.

The blooms are unusually large and beautiful with rosy stamens.

Look what I spotted on July 4th!

So you might be thinking that these 'Shipova' pears appear to be on the small side. It is true. When mature, these pears average about 2 inches in diameter with a rounded shape similar to Asian pears. But, I think the size is irrelevant. 

As years go by, the number of fruits increases greatly.

The taste? Sweet, slightly tropical, and well worth any wait.

The four pear trees listed below all had plenty of blooms in the spring of 2020. However, none of these trees produced mature fruit.

Two big issues of concern:

1. It was an unseasonably cold, wet spring causing many of the tender blooms to look brown and beat up.

2. There were far fewer pollinators flying around in spring compared with what we are accustomed to seeing. This was likely due to the aforementioned weather conditions. The pollinators showed up later in the season. Fair weather friends.


I feel pretty confident that these four trees will grow pears in 2021. I will keep you posted with updates if and when I start singing around any of these four pear trees.

UPDATE:

Feeling pretty confident was not enough for the remaining four fruitless pear trees.

Just as was the case in spring of 2020, the weather during spring of 2021 was incompatible with pear blossoms and pollinators. Cold and extremely wet weather only allowed one of the four pear trees to show its stuff.  BUT HEY. One is better than none!

Orcas European 

(Pyrus communis L.)

As you can see above, the label has gotten quite tattered over the years, but still readable. This pear tree had been transplanted from its original location in our gardens about 4 years ago. It seems happy enough where it is now. And look at all of the blossoms on ORCAS below before the cold wind and rain showed up late in spring. They were so lovely.

About a dozen blossoms remained on this tree by the end of summer 2021. When the pears grew, they did not hang down. They all reached bottoms up as seen below.

The weather was not kind to the fruit trees late summer into fall. More cold wind and rain knocked the few remaining pears to the ground... but not before they ripened enough for us to eat. I gathered a dozen as they fell to the ground and set them on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks. They softened nicely.

Delicious.

Even though the 2022 season was not sunny, warm and wonderful, ORCAS produced 3 dozen delicious pears!

Below are the three varieties remaining fruitless.

They all had blossoms in the spring of 2021 and 2022. The blossoms simply could not endure the cold wind and rain.

I will visit these remaining three varieties often and cheer them on throughout the spring of 2023. 

Stay tuned!

Bella di Giugno

(Pyrus communis L.)

Butirra Precoce Morettini

(Pyrus communis L.)

Ubileen

(Pyrus communis L.)