Fruit and Nut

Pears are grown as far north as Trondheim in Western Norway (63.5 N). They do best in warm sunny locations where there is shelter from prevailing winds.

Although some pears are regarded as self-fertile and will sometimes produce viable fruit when planted as a single tree, yields are much better when several varieties of the same or adjacent pollination group are planted together. Triploid varieties will not pollinate other trees. Fondante d'Automne, Louis Bonne of Jersey and Précoce de Trévoux are mutually incompatible and will not pollinate each other. Some other varieties, notably Buerré Hardy, are also poor pollinators.

The trees should be planted in deep, well drained and fertile soil. The month refers to harvesting/eating period. Trees are available on the rootstocks indicated. The most dwarfing is Quince C, followed by Quince A, then Pyrodwarf then Pyrus Kirchesaller and Pyrus communis

Eating and cooking varieties are generally supplied on Quince A rootstock. This is regarded as semi-vigorous. Trees should be planted 4-5m apart. However some varieties that are incompatible with quince are available only on the more vigorous Pyrodwarf, or very vigorous Pyrus communis or Pyrus Kirchensaller rootstocks.

The varieties offered are likely to do well in Irish conditions. However, pears need warmth to ripen fully and ideally should be planted in sheltered sunny positions.

Perry pears are supplied on Pyrodwarf or Pyrus communis rootstock, and should be spaced at 5-10 m. The trees are very long lived - trees planted now may still be producing fruit in two hundred years time! Perry pears need warm sites in order to ripen properly. For more information on perry pears see the link below:

Perry Pears

Trees are normally supplied as bare-rooted maidens. Older trees can be supplied if available, please enquire.

Eating and Cooking Varieties

Baronne de Mello                                
Eater. Renowned for its sweetness and flavour. Hardy reliable cropper with long cropping period but needs a warm site to fully ripen. October to November. Pollination group 3. France 1847. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Beth                               
Eater. Compact tree which spurs freely. Sweet melting fruit. Very suitable for small gardens. September/October. Pollination group 3. Kent 1938. Quince C and Quince A rootstocks

Beurré Hardy                                
Eating. Large, yellowish-green fruit, sometimes with red russet when ripe. Juicy white or pink flesh, sweet and aromatic. Very good flavour. Resistant to scab but does best on south facing wall. October. Poor pollinator (pollination group 4). France 1820. Quince C and Quince A rootstocks

Black Worcester                                
Cooking pear of ancient heritage. Good for stewing. Large fruit. Productive and very disease resistant. October, will keep till February. Pollination group 4. Worcester 16th Century. Pyrus rootstocks only.

Catillac                              
Cooking pear. Lovely flavour when slow stewed over several hours. Large fruit, green becoming green-yellow with red flush. Vigorous tree with weeping habit. Extremely hardy and disease resistant. Very long keeper. Pick October use January to April. Triploid (pollination group 4). Cadillac, France, 1665. Quince A rootstock only

Concorde                               
Eater. Compact tree, good for organic cultivation but fruit difficult to ripen in cool summers . Sweet and juicy. September. Regarded as being self fertile but does much better with a pollinator (pollination group 3). Kent 1977. Quince C and Quince A rootstocks, pyrus rootstocks by special request. No longer supplied (does not perform well in the west)

Conference                               
Eater, old favourite but needs a warm dry site to do well.. Green with some russet, sweet and juicy, reliable cropper, good on limestone soils. Quite susceptible to canker. September, keeps till November. Pollination group 3. Hertfordshire 1885. Quince C and Quince A rootstocks, pyrus rootstocks by special request. No longer supplied (does not perform well in the west)

Christie                               
Eater, heritage Scottish variety. Sweet and juicy. September/October. Vigorous and hardy with good resistance to scab. Pollination group 3

Doyenne du Comice                               
Doyenne du Comice is one of the finest pears. Juicy melting flesh with excellent flavour. However it does need a warm and sunny site. Also suitable for a tall south-facing wall. Fruit ripens October to November. Pollination group 4 (Pollinators Beth, Black Worcester, Catillac, Conference). Angers, France, 1849. Pyrus rootstocks only.

Durondeau                               
Eating. Conical, medium to large fruit, yellow with red flush. Sweet and juicy, slightly acid. Hardy and disease resistant, strong grower and good cropper, does well in moist climates. Another one of our favourites. Late September, will keep till January. Pollination group 3. Belgium c1811. Pyrus rootstocks only

Fontante D'Automne                                                  
Eating. High quality and reliable, resistant to scab and canker. Green turning yellow with pinkish flush and brown russet. Juicy. September, will keep till October. Pollination group 3. France 1825. Quince A rootstock only

Gorham                               
Eater. Hardy, disease resistant. Sweet juicy flesh, musky flavour when fully ripe. September. Pollination group 1. USA 1905. Quince A rootstock only

Humbug                               
Eater/cooker. Large fruit, with distinctive red and green stripes. Hardy, disease resistant. Wrongly listed by many suppliers as coming from Ukraine but is actually from the Alps, where it is known as Schweizerhose ('Swiss trousers'!). October-November. Pollination group 3. Quince A rootstock only

Invincible Delwinor                               
Eating/Cooking. Very hardy pear, by far the most successful pear we have trialled. Often produces a second sets of blossom which will miss late frosts. Large fruits, light green, becoming yellow when ripe. Light flavour but exceptionally juicy when fully ripe. September to November. Regarded as self-fertile but does much better with a pollinator. Good pollinator for other varieties (pollination groups 2-4). France 1992. Strongly recommended

Jargonelle                             
Very old eating variety. Conical, medium-sized fruit, greenish yellow. Melting, juicy, aromatic. Hardy and disease resistant. One of the earliest pears to ripen (July to August). Triploid (pollination group 2). Recorded in England c1629 but of ancient heritage - may have been the pear Numidianum Groecum written about by the Roman historian Pliny. Pyrus rootstocks only

Louise Bonne of Jersey                               
Eating. Small to medium-sized fruit, green turning yellow with red flush. Sweet, aromatic. Hardy with good resistance to scab. Pollination group 2. September, will keep to December. France 1780. Quince A rootstock only

Moonglow                              
Eating/cooking. Medium to large fruit, green turning yellow with pink flush when fully ripe. Aromatic. Vigorous and hardy with good resistance to scab. Pollination group 3. Late August to mid September. USA 1960. Quince A rootstock only

Onward                             
Eater. Late blossom, good for frosty areas. Sweet and juicy, rich flavour. September. Pollination group 4. Surrey 1947. Quince C and Quince A rootstocks

Précoce de Trévoux                              
Eating. Small to medium sized fruit, yellow flushed with red. Exquisite flavour, scented, aromatic. Strong grower and resistant to scab. Good pollinator (pollination group 2), but slightly vulnerable to early frosts. One of the very best pears and one of our favourites. Mid August to early September. France 1862. Pyrus rootstocks only

Santa Claus                             
Eating/cooking. Large fruit, green becoming crimson-russet. Good flavour, scented, aromatic. Strong grower and resistant to scab. November to December (pick November and ripen in a cool place indoors). Late flowering (pollination group 4), good choice for localities prone to spring frost . Belgium 1875. Pyrus rootstocks only

Sensation                             
Eating. Red fruiting sport of Williams' Bon Chrétian. Sweet and melting. Late August/early September. Ornamental red tinged foliage in spring. Vigorous grower with excellent resistance to scab. Pollination group 3. Recommended

Shipover (Bollwiller)                                               
Eating/cooking. Rare hybrid of Pyrus communis and Sorbus aria (whitebeam). Large leaves, felted underneath. Small, delicious fruit. Very disease resistant. Late August to mid September. Attractive flowers (pollination group 5). Bollwiller, France c1610. Pyrus rootstocks only

Perry Pear Cultivars

Perry pears are only available on Pyrus rootstocks (usually the semi-vigorous Pyrodwarf, but sometimes the more vigorous Pyrus communis or Pyrus Kirchesaller)

Blakeney Red                                 
Mild bittersharp, fair quality. Reliable heavy cropper, good for bulking up the harvest from other varieties. September/ October. Fruit will store for up to 4 weeks. Triploid (pollination group 4). Gloucestershire. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Gin                               
Vintage quality, medium acid. One of the most disease resistant of all the perry pears: very good resistance to scab and canker. May be biennial. Fruit can be stored up to five weeks before milling. October/November. Pollination group 4. Gloucestershire. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Hendre Huffcap                                                  
Low to medium acid, low tannin, pleasant, light quality. Resistant to scab. October, relatively short milling period. Susceptible to silver leaf. Perry pollination group B. Gloucestershire, probably of ancient origin. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Judge Amphlet                              
Sharp, low tannin. Very disease resistant. Makes a compact tree. October, fruit needs to be used quickly as does not keep. Early flowering. Pollination group 1. Worcestershire. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Thorn                             
Sharp, low tannin. Very old variety with good disease resistance. Makes compact tree. September/October, fruit needs to be used quickly as does not keep. Pollination group 4. Gloucestershire c1670. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Winnal's Longdon                               
Medium to high acid, low tannin. Good to excellent quality. Very resistant to scab. Grows into large tree. October, relatively short milling period. Perry pollination group B. Herefordshire c1790. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

Yellow Huffcap                               
Medium to high acid, low tannin. Good to excellent quality, rich flavour. High in citric acid. Resistant to scab. Grows into large tree. October, relatively short milling period. Pears should be shaken from tree before fully ripe. Perry pollination group B. Very old English cultivar. The word 'Huffcap' was used in the Middle Ages to describe potent ale. Pyrodwarf rootstock only

All varieties available November