Pyrus communis
Wild Pear

Uses

Toxic parts

None known

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw or cooked^[1]^[2]. The fruit of wild pears often remains very hard unless bletted^[3]. It is more suitable for use in pies etc. The fruit is up to 5cm long^[4].

Fruit

Unknown use

Material uses

A yellow-tan dye is obtained from the leaves^[5]^[6]. Trees are sometimes used as part of a shelterbelt planting^[7]. Wood - heavy, tough, durable, fine grained, hard. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot^[7]. Used by cabinet and instrument makers^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]. When covered with black varnish it is an excellent ebony substitute^[12].

Unknown part

Dye

Wood

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The fruit is astringent, febrifuge and sedative^[13].

Unknown part

Astringent

Febrifuge

Sedative

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Secondary canopy

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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^[4]. Temperatures over 15 - 20°c induce a secondary dormancy in the seed^[4]. 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.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Pyrus communis. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun^[14]^[4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. 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^[4], avoiding only the most acid soils^[3]. Dislikes very exposed positions^[3]. Established plants are drought tolerant^[4]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to below -15°c^[4]. Plants often sucker and can form dense thickets^[3]. A parent of the cultivated pear, possibly by crossing with P. nivalis and P. cordata^[8]. There are many hundreds of varieties of cultivated pears and they are widely cultivated in the temperate zone for their edible fruits. By selection of varieties fresh fruits can be obtained from late July to April or May of the following year.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Pyrus communis. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Pyrus communis.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

"image:Illustration Pyrus communis0.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-01-01)
? ^2.0^2.1 Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins ISBN 0-00-219060-5 (1974-01-01)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3^3.4 Beckett. G. and K. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold (1979-01-01)
? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6^4.7^4.8 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-01-01)
? ^5.0^5.1 Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press ISBN 0-87857-090-x (1975-01-01)
? ^6.0^6.1 Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. ()
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2 Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292780206 (1982-01-01)
? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-01-01)
? ^9.0^9.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-01-01)
? ^10.0^10.1 Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press ISBN 0192176218 (1969-01-01)
? ^11.0^11.1 Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press ISBN 0-292-78958-3 (1987-01-01)
? ^12.0^12.1 Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation (1968-01-01)
? ^13.0^13.1 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-01-01)
? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-01-01)
? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-01-01)

[PFAFimport-2-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-01-01)

[PFAFimport-5-2] ? ^2.0^2.1 Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins ISBN 0-00-219060-5 (1974-01-01)

[PFAFimport-186-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3^3.4 Beckett. G. and K. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold (1979-01-01)

[PFAFimport-200-4] ? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6^4.7^4.8 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-01-01)

[PFAFimport-106-5] ? ^5.0^5.1 Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press ISBN 0-87857-090-x (1975-01-01)

[PFAFimport-115-6] ? ^6.0^6.1 Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. ()

[PFAFimport-227-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2 Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292780206 (1982-01-01)

[PFAFimport-11-8] ? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-01-01)

[PFAFimport-61-9] ? ^9.0^9.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-01-01)

[PFAFimport-100-10] ? ^10.0^10.1 Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press ISBN 0192176218 (1969-01-01)

[PFAFimport-149-11] ? ^11.0^11.1 Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press ISBN 0-292-78958-3 (1987-01-01)

[PFAFimport-74-12] ? ^12.0^12.1 Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation (1968-01-01)

[PFAFimport-240-13] ? ^13.0^13.1 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-01-01)

[PFAFimport-1-14] ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-01-01)

[PFAFimport-17-15] ? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-01-01)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Belongs to family	Rosaceae +
Belongs to genus	Pyrus +
Has common name	Wild Pear +
Has drought tolerance	Tolerant +
Has edible part	Fruit +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has environmental tolerance	Drought +
Has fertility type	Insects +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone	4 +
Has image	Illustration Pyrus communis0.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has material part	Unknown part +
Has material use	Dye + and Wood +
Has mature height	13 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Astringent +, Febrifuge + and Sedative +
Has primary image	Illustration Pyrus communis0.jpg +
Has search name	pyrus communis + and x +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teheavy clayture preference	Heavy clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Pyrus communis +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Secondary canopy +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +

Uses

Toxic parts

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit

Material uses

Unknown part

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

Unknown part

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Forage

Shelter

Propagation

Cultivation

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

Polycultures & Guilds

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

Subspecies

Full Data

References

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