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James H. Schutte
Rosaceae
Pyrus pyrifolia
Asian Pear
The Asian pear is among the most delicious of all fruits, particularly fresh off the tree. The fruit is often called pear-apple or prapple because its flesh combines the crispness of an apple with the melting sweetness of a pear. Its high price and suitability for the table make this East Asian native one of the most worthwhile trees to grow in the backyard.
The yellow- or amber-skinned fruits of Asian pear have snow-white, mildly sweet flesh. They grow on upright spreading deciduous trees that typically bear their showy white spring flowers and beautiful round fruits at an early age. Most Asian pear cultivars require a second pear cultivar nearby to produce good crops. The fruits ripen in late summer or early fall. Prolifically bearing cultivars will produce larger pears if they are thinned in early summer.
Like all pears, Pyrus pyrifoliagrows and fruits best in full sun and average, well-drained soil. It develops slowly into a medium-sized, highly productive tree. The new branches can be lax and pruning is needed to keep the tree open and shapely. With pears it is better to prune moderately and fertilize very little (rapid growth is susceptible to diseases). Mulch that decomposes slowly is all the fertilizer needed.
9 - 1
5 - 9
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Fruit
Full Sun, Partial Sun
15'-30' / 4.6m - 9.1m
10'-25' / 3.0m - 7.6m
Spring
China, Japan
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Medium
Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Summer, Fall
Showy
Yes
No
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree
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