This pear is found in the mountainous regions of France. It represents the edible pear before it became the edible pear. In other words, wild does what wild is. The astringent and highly tannic pears are really almost impossible to eat fresh, It takes a full five minutes before your tongue recuperates. But the deer and other animals at our farm find it delicious and we have to quickly shake the trees just before ripening to get the fruit. It ripens from August through September.
Fully immune to fire blight and all insects, this pear grows in what is best described as a rock strewn field on a steep slope with no topsoil to speak of. The fruit production began in earnest once the plants reached about 8 ft. tall. The thick spurs and glossy foliage make it a perfect pear for extreme drought and heat. It could be used as both a rootstock pear or possibly a pear for its edible nature once processing can tame the strong flavors.
2 year old plants grown in pots from seed produced at our farm from two rare subspecies of pears.
| Plant Specs |
| Genus & Species |
Pyrus communis var. balansae and other subspecies wild forms |
| Seed Source |
Michigan |
| Height (ft) |
30-50 |
| Width (ft) |
10-30 |
| Pollination Requirements |
Self fertile. Will cross with other pears too. |
| Soil |
Rock, sand, loam and clay. Very adaptable. |
| Climate |
Zone 3-9 |
| Ease of Cultivation |
This is one of the most durable species pears we grow. Slow growing at first but once established really kicks out the fruit. This is probably the most wild of all wild pears we grow and is not likely in cultivation other than our farm.
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