Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Fruits Pear By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 12, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Pear Overview Description Pears are among the easiest and most attractive fruit trees for the home landscape. Lovely even in winter, pears are easy to prune and can be trained into a formal or informal appearance. For small landscapes and easy harvest, choose a dwarf cultivar.These productive trees yield bushels of succulent fruits. Many pears need a pollinizer. Use any other pear. Be sure to select a self-fruitful type if you have space for only one tree. Genus Name Pyrus communis Common Name Pear Plant Type Fruit, Tree Light Sun Height 8 to 20 feet Width 8 to 25 feet Flower Color White Season Features Spring Bloom Special Features Fragrance Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Propagation Grafting Harvest Tips Most fruits are picked when they are ripe or nearly so. Pears are the exception. A tree-ripened pear breaks down, turning soft and brown at the core. Harvest pears when they have reached full size but are still green and firm. Store them in a cool, dark place. More varieties for Pear 'Bartlett' pear Pyrus communis 'Bartlett' is a popular pear that produces large yellow fruits with smooth, juicy white flesh. Zones 5-7 'Bosc' pear Pyrus communis 'Bosc' produces fruits with a unique sweet-spice flavor and brown skin. These firm fruits have a long neck and a full rounded base. Zones 5-8 'Hosui' Asian pear Pyrus communis 'Hosui' produces a round pear with a snappy tang for its taste. The blight-resistant tree is self-pollinating. Zones 5-9 'Kieffer' pear Pyrus communis 'Kieffer' is an Oriental pear that produces oval fruits with yellow-green skin splashed with red when ripe. The white flesh is crisp and juicy with a coarse texture. Zones 4-9 'Seckel' pear Pyrus communis 'Seckel' produces small fruits early in the season with an intense sweet flavor. The fruits store well, and the trees are resistant to fire blight. Zones 4-8 'Shinko' Asian pear Pyrus communis 'Shinko' is an excellent producer, bearing medium to large fruits with golden-brown skin and creamy flesh that is sweet and juicy. Zones 4-9 Find perennials to pair with your fruit trees and plants More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit