Practical
Plants

Pyrus communis sativa

Pear

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Pyrus genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Pyrus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked. The flavour ranges from rather harsh and astringent (cultivars used for making alcoholic drinks) through to soft, sweet and very juicy. The best dessert fruits have an exquisite sweet flavour, usually with a very soft flesh, whilst cooking varieties have harder less sweet flesh[K].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A yellow-tan dye is obtained from the leaves[2][4]. Wood - heavy, tough, durable, fine grained, hard. Used by cabinet and instrument makers[3][9][1][5]. When covered with black varnish it is an excellent ebony substitute[10].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
A garden cultivar, probably derived from P. communis, P. cordata and P. nivalis[3].
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[6]. Temperatures over 15 - 20°c induce a secondary dormancy in the seed[6]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. The seed of pear cultivars will not usually breed true to type.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun[6]. Grows well in heavy clay soils[6]. Tolerates light shade but does not fruit so well in such a position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution, excessive moisture and a range of soil types if they are moderately fertile, though plants can become chlorotic on very alkaline soils[6]. Established plants are drought tolerant[6]. Very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to below -15°c[6]. Widely cultivated for its edible fruit in temperate areas, there are many named varieties that can provide fruit from late July to April or May of the following year. This is the collective name for all the pear cultivars that have been derived from P. communis, probably through hybridization with P. cordata and P. nivalis. Where space is at a premium, or at the limits of their climatic range, pears can be grown against a wall. Most cultivars will grow well against a sunny south or west facing wall but, because of their relatively early flowering, they are not really suitable for north or east facing walls[8]. Most cultivars are not self-fertile and a number of cultivars have incompatible pollen, so care must be taken to ensure the provision of a suitable pollen partner[6]. Trees grow less well in grass, root secretions from the grass inhibiting the root growth of the pear[7].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  5. Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-292-78958-3

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  7. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

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  8. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

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  9. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  10. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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