Pears Varieties

Bartlett

  • #1 pear in the world, juicy white flesh.
  • self-fertile but produces much better when planted with a partner for pollination
  • used as a pollinator commonly
  • fruits ripen in August.
  • 800 Chill Hours
  • Zones 5-8

Beurre D’Anjou

  • A French pear buttery and sweet with slight acidic flavor
  • fruit stays green till ripening in late summer
  • Best eaten fresh
  • 700 chill hours/ needs a pollenizer
  • Zones 5-8

Bosc

  • Large pear with white, juicy flesh
  • Flavor is sweet-spicy and slightly acidic
  • Use for fresh eating or cooking
  • Ripens early fall
  • 700 chill hours/ needs a pollenizer
  • Zones 5-8

Comice

  • green & yellow skin with red blush
  • sweet, juicy creamy white flesh
  • self-fertile in arid west
  • better yields with pollinator in humid east
  • harvest in August
  • Low chill hours of 200-300 needed
  • Zones 5-9

D’Anjou

  • Large fruit, firm white flesh
  • Large, vigorous tree
  • Fruit ripens in late summer-early fall
  • Smooth, slight citrus, melting flavor
  • 800 chill hours/ pollinate by Bartlett
  • Zones 5-7

Flordahome

  • Low chill hours for use in the South A hybrid between European and Asian varieties, developed in Floridal Excellent soft flesh, great for fresh eating or canning. Self fertile but larger crops when planted with another variety.
  • low chill -150 hours
  • Zones 8-10.

Hood

  • Yellow-green pear with buttery smooth texture fleshfav in the South with only 150-200 chill hours
  • harvest in mid to late
  • July, requires a pollinator
  • highly resistant to fireblight
  • Zones 5-10

Keiffer

  • large pear with green-yellow skin blushed in red
  • coarse crisp, juicy, white flesh
  • old fav is productive and self-fertile
  • most widely grown pear in the South
  • harvest October-November
  • 400 chill hours
  • Zones 5-9

Moonglow

  • Shaped like a Bartlett with soft, juicy flesh almost free of grit
  • Large fruit with brownish green skin
  • Very resistant to fire blight
  • Ripens in middle of summer
  • 500 chill hours/ needs pollinizer
  • Zones 5-9

Orient

  • Domestic variety named due to it’s round shape similar to Asian pears
  • Smooth texture, firm and sweet flesh
  • Resistant to fire blight
  • Heavy producer in late summer
  • Pollinate with Bartlett, Kieffer, or Moonglow
  • 300 chill hours
  • Zones 5-9

Perdue

  • Exceptional quality patented cultivar from Louisiana
  • Sweet, creamy, apple-like flavor with less grit than most Southern pears
  • Ripens in mid season, ready to eat when green but ripen to soft yellow pear
  • Large tree 20 feet tall and spread with strong , wide angle limbs
  • Fire blight has not been observed on it
  • 200+ chill hours/ better with a pollinizer
  • Zones 6-9b

Pineapple

  • A hybrid between European and Asian varieties
  • golden-russet, sweet-tart pineapple flavor
  • very productive, bears at an early age
  • self-fertile but better with a pollinator
  • Ripens in mid-season
  • 200 Chill Hours
  • Zones 4-9

Seckel

  • A truly American variety, originated from a pear growing wild in 1800s near Philadelphia.
  • Small size with sweet, spicy aromatic flavor with crunchy flesh
  • Resists fire blight, self-fertile in the west
  • Ripens late season
  • 500-800 chill hours
  • Zones 5-8

Sugar

  • small pears with smooth skin and red blush
  • superior, very sweet, white, creamy flesh
  • semi-dwarf and self-fertile, perfect for small gardens
  • good for fresh eating and canning
  • ripens mid season
  • 200-300 chill hours
  • Zones 5-9 /good for south

Shinko

  • Medium large fruit Asian pear
  • Excellent, rich, sweet flavor
  • Most fire blight resistant of Asian varieties
  • Ripens late season
  • Great for storage, will keep till January
  • 450 chill hours
  • Zones 6-9

Shinseiki

  • round, medium sized, golden Asian pear
  • white, sweet, crisp, and juicy flesh
  • Bears fruit early, ripens in mid-season
  • Storage pear, keeps till March!
  • 250-450 chill hours
  • Zones 5-9a

20th Century

  • Medium Round. thin yellow-green skin
  • Firm, extremely juicy, crisp flesh
  • Tolerates drought and heat
  • Partly self-fertile, pollinate with Hosui or Shinko.
  • Ripens late mid-season
  • 400 chill hours
  • Zones 6-9

Warren

  • Med-large fruit, pale green skin with red blush
  • Smooth, juicy, buttery flesh without grit cells
  • Highly resistant to fire blight, cold hardy to -20°
  • Excellent dessert pear
  • Ripens mid season
  • 600 chill hours/ self-fruitful
  • Zones 5-7