Tree · Rosaceae
Asian Pear
Pyrus pyrifolia
Give it full sun, a pollinator partner, and an open frame, and the Asian pear hands you crisp, juicy fruit for decades.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–8
20–40 ft · 6.1–12.2 m
Overview
The Asian pear is a hardy fruit tree from the rose family, grown across East Asia long before it reached Western orchards. People know it by many names, from nashi to apple pear, and the second name fits. The fruit is round and stays crisp and juicy rather than softening like a European pear, so you eat it firm, straight off the tree.
This is a long-lived tree, not a quick crop. Plant a young one and it settles in fast, then bears for decades once established. It handles real cold, down to about -20°F (-29°C), and shrugs off summer heat, which makes it a good fit for much of the temperate world.
The one thing it asks of you is a partner. Nearly every variety needs a second compatible cultivar flowering at the same time to set a real crop, so plan for two trees from the start. Give them sun, room, and an open shape, and they more or less look after themselves.
Care
The short version: full sun, deep well-drained soil, and a second compatible variety nearby for pollination. Water deeply while the tree establishes and the fruit swells, prune to an open multi-trunk frame in late winter, and thin the young fruit so the branches don't break.
Light
Asian pears want full sun for the best fruit and the fewest disease problems. They'll take a little afternoon shade, but a tree stuck in real shade grows weak and crops poorly.
Water
Water deeply and regularly while the tree is getting established and through the stretch when the fruit is swelling, as long as the soil drains freely. Ease off as the pears mature and again once the tree drops into winter dormancy. Deep, less frequent soakings beat a daily sprinkle.
Soil
Plant in deep, well-drained ground, whether that's loam, sand, or even clay, as long as water moves through it. A slightly acidic pH of 5.9 to 6.5 suits the tree, and good drainage matters more than the exact number.
Temperature
This is a tough, cold-hardy tree that takes winters down to about -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to roughly 95°F (35°C). The real risk isn't deep cold but a late spring frost that catches the open blossom.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air in the 40% to 70% range is fine, so there's no number to manage. Warm, wet weather at bloom is the thing to watch, since that's when fire blight spreads fastest.
Feeding
Feed in spring with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer, split into a couple of doses. Scale the amount to the tree's age, roughly a third to a half cup per year up to about 8 cups, and go easy, since heavy nitrogen fuels fire blight.
Pruning
Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant, taking off about 10 percent of the terminal spurs each year to keep the fruit sized up. Train to several trunks in an open form rather than one central leader, so a single fire blight strike can't take the whole tree. Hand-thin the young fruit 14 to 40 days after petals drop, down to one fruitlet per spur or about 6 inches apart, or the load will snap the limbs.
Repotting
not applicable - grown outdoors in the ground
Size & spacing
This is a big tree, reaching 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) tall and nearly as wide. Give it plenty of open ground so air moves through the canopy and the roots have room to run.
When to plant
Asian pears run on the seasons. Set dormant trees out in late winter to early spring, in the most frost-free spot you have so a late freeze doesn't catch the blossom. The flowers open in April, and the fruit ripens on the tree from about mid July through fall, depending on the variety.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant dormant bare-root or container trees in late winter to early spring in a site as frost-free as possible to avoid late spring frosts at bloom.
- Harvest: Blooms April to early May; fruit ripens on the tree from about mid July through fall depending on cultivar.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–8
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Most Asian pear trouble comes down to one disease and a short list of pests. Fire blight is the one to take seriously, since it can kill a tree, while the insects mostly cost you fruit or vigor. Match what you see below, then act before it spreads.
Shoots blacken and curl into a shepherd's crook
This is fire blight, a bacterial disease that races through the tree in warm, wet weather at bloom and is made worse by too much nitrogen. Cut out the blackened shoots well below the dead tissue, ease off the feeding, and train the tree to several trunks so a single strike can't kill it. Resistant cultivars are your best defense.
Fix:
- Choose resistant cultivars, avoid heavy nitrogen, prune out blackened shoots well below the infection, and train to multiple trunks so one strike does not kill the tree
Tunnels and brown crumbly trails bored into the fruit
The codling moth lays eggs that hatch into larvae, and those grubs bore straight into the developing pears. Hang traps to track when the moths are flying, then thin or bag the fruit and use labeled controls timed to the season. Catch it early, before the larvae are deep inside.
Fix:
- Monitor with traps and use fruit thinning, bagging, or labeled controls during the season
Sticky leaves and a black sooty film on the foliage
Pear psylla are tiny sap-feeders that coat the leaves in sticky honeydew, and sooty mold soon grows on top of it. A heavy run of them saps the tree's strength. Encourage natural predators, spray dormant oil before growth starts, and reach for labeled controls only when the numbers climb.
Fix:
- Encourage natural predators, apply dormant oil, and use labeled controls when populations build
Orange spots on leaves and aphids massed on new shoots
Rust speckles the foliage and fruit with orange-brown spots, while aphids cluster on the soft new growth and suck it dry. Rust travels from nearby junipers, so pull those hosts where you can. Knock the aphids back with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
Fix:
- Remove nearby juniper hosts for rust where practical and treat aphids with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
Toxicity
The ripe flesh is a crisp, sweet fruit and safe to eat, but the rest of the tree is not so harmless. The seeds, bark, and wilting leaves hold cyanogenic compounds that release cyanide when chewed in quantity, the same hazard as other pip fruits. Keep pets and livestock away from the seeds and from any prunings, especially bruised or frost-killed foliage.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews seeds or wilted prunings can show brick-red gums, wide pupils, and labored panting. Large amounts bring on real distress, but the ripe flesh holds no danger.
Dogs Mild
Watch for heavy panting, dilated pupils, and bright red gums if a dog gnaws bark, prunings, or a mouthful of seeds. Most dogs that nibble a slice of ripe pear are perfectly fine.
Horses Toxic
Horses are large grazers but very sensitive to cyanide, and a pile of wilting prunings tossed over the fence is the usual culprit. Trouble breathing, staggering, and collapse can follow fast, so never give them the trimmings.
Rabbits Toxic
Keep rabbits away from the seeds, bark, and any wilted leaves, since their small bodies need only a little cyanide to be harmed. A thin sliver of ripe flesh now and then is the only safe part.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep can poison themselves on fallen branches or wilted leaves that drift into a pasture. The danger spikes when the foliage is bruised or frost-killed, which is exactly when the cyanide runs highest.
Birds Toxic
Pet birds and backyard poultry should never get at the seeds, which carry the same cyanide as the rest of the pip fruits. Offer only seedless pieces of the ripe flesh.
People Caution
The ripe flesh is a crisp, juicy fruit and good to eat. Just don't chew or swallow the seeds, since a large quantity of crushed pips releases cyanide.
Keep pets from chewing large amounts of seeds, bark, or wilting prunings; the ripe fruit flesh itself is safe.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Asian pears come in dozens of cultivars, sorted mostly by skin color, ripening date, and disease resistance. These are the ones you'll meet most often, and picking two that bloom together solves your pollination at the same time.
Hosui
A top-quality favorite with large, juicy, low-acid bronze fruit that ripens in mid to late August and rewards careful thinning with bigger pears.
Shinseiki (New Century)
An early round yellow-green pear with sweet, creamy white flesh that crops on its own to a degree but sets far better with a second cultivar nearby.
Nijisseiki (Twentieth Century)
The most widely grown variety in the world, prized for its yellow-skinned fruit but among the first to fall to fire blight.
Chojuro
One of the earliest Japanese cultivars to pick, dropping its large, brown, russeted fruit around mid July.
How to propagate
There are two ways to start an Asian pear, but only one gives you the fruit you're after. Grafting copies a named variety exactly, while seed is a gamble best left to breeders and rootstock growers.
GraftingModerate
This is how named cultivars are kept true to type. A bud or scion of the variety you want is grafted onto a pear or Asian pear rootstock, so the new tree carries the exact same fruit as its parent. It takes a steady hand, but it's the only reliable way to copy a named pear.
SeedModerate
Seeds sprout readily enough, but the seedlings won't match the parent and take years to bear their first fruit. For that reason seed is used mainly to raise rootstock or to breed new varieties, not to grow a tree you can count on.
Myths
Asian pears must be picked hard and ripened off the tree like European pears.
European pears need that after-ripening, but Asian pears do not. They reach their best left to ripen on the tree, where they turn sweet and juicy. You eat them crisp and apple-textured, never soft and buttery.
A single Asian pear tree will set a full crop on its own.
Almost every cultivar is self-incompatible, so one tree standing alone gives you little or no fruit. Plant a second compatible cultivar that blooms at the same time and let the bees carry pollen between them. Only then do you get a real crop.