Pear trees
Eat | Cook | Sold out
Beurre Bosc
A traditional French pear with buttery melting flesh. compare
Eat | In stock
Beurre Hardy
A classic French pear with a very good flavour, but grows best in a warm sheltered situation. compare
Cook | In stock
Black Worcester
The oldest true English pear, 16th century or earlier. Ideal for stewed pears. compare
Eat | Cook | In stock
Clapps Favourite
An attractive red-flushed early-season pear from the USA. compare
Eat | In stock
Conference
A popular and reliable English pear, Conference is perfectly suited to the English climate. compare
Eat | In stock
Doyenne du Comice
Doyenne du Comice is arguably the best flavoured of all pears. compare
Eat | In stock
Invincible
Invincible is a good-flavour pear which can cope with more difficult conditions than most pears. compare
Eat | In stock
Josephine de Malines
A classic 19th century winter pear with a high quality flavour. compare
Eat | In stock
Louise Bonne of Jersey
An attractive red-flushed French pear variety with sweet melting flesh. compare
Eat | In stock
Merton Pride
One of the best English pears, with a notably juicy buttery flesh. compare
Eat | In stock
Winter Nelis
A late-season dessert pear from Belgium, with an excellent sweet flavour. compareMore about Pear trees
Pears are related to apples, and most of the horticultural requirements and challenges of apples apply also to growing pear trees. However pear trees are a bit more demanding than apple trees - they prefer slightly warmer conditions and are a bit less tolerant of soil and situation, and crop yields are lower.
On the plus side, pear trees are less susceptible to the various pests and diseases commonly experienced with apples.
When it comes to flavour, pears have an aura of exclusivity which you don't tend to find in apples.
Although there are some culinary pear varieties, all the ones we offer are dessert pears - good for eating fresh, but also useful for culinary purposes too.
Pears are fundamentally self-sterile so will require a pollination partner, in other words a compatible pear tree of a different variety growing nearby. Even the varieties we list as self-fertile will be far more productive with a pollination partner. Conference is probably the only pear variety that is reliably self-fertile.
