Winter 2026Order now for delivery from week commencing 16th March onwards.
01759 392007

Conference pear trees - self-fertile

£38.25 - £63.00
Conference pears
Check pollinators >
Conference has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritConference is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Mid
  • Self-fertility: Self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993

Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.

See our full description ...

Available to buy - Conference pear trees

Choose a size - pot-grown

All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.

  • PG12-year bush-trained 11.5L pot-grown tree, Quince Eline rootstock£63.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • PG2Premium cordon 12L pot-grown tree, Quince Eline rootstock£62.50
    Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
  • PG32-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree, Quince A rootstock£58.75
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • PG4Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree, Quince A rootstock£64.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock

Choose a size - bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree,Quince Eline rootstock£39.75
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR22-year bush-trained bare-root tree,Quince Eline rootstock£47.95
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR3Cordon-trained bare-root tree,Quince Eline rootstock£49.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR41-year bare-root tree,Quince A rootstock£38.25
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR52-year bush-trained bare-root tree,Quince A rootstock£47.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR62-year bare-root tree,Quince A rootstock£47.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR71-year bare-root tree,Pyrodwarf rootstock£40.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR82-year bare-root tree,Pyrodwarf rootstock£49.00
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR91-year bare-root tree,Pyrus c. Kirchensaller rootstock£38.25< 5 in stock
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)
  • BR102-year (1.75m) bare-root tree,Pyrus c. Kirchensaller rootstock£49.00
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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Need help?

Ask our fruit tree experts on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.

Tree specification

Photos of trees as supplied | Tree sizes and forms

Next deliveries

Delivery from week commencing 16th March 2026 onwards.

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.

All about Conference pear trees

Conference is the most widely-grown pear variety in the UK. It crops heavily and reliably, and will grow in most situations.

It is also one of the few pear varieties to be reliably self-fertile in most situations, so you don't usually need another pollinator nearby. Furthermore it is a good pollinator for many other pears.

The skin is usually partially covered in golden-green russet.

A home-grown Conference pear, picked just before it is fully ripe, has an excellent flavour that should not disappoint.

Growing and Training

Conference is one of the easiest pears to grow, being less fussy than some other pear varieties, tolerant of late frosts and strong-growing. It is by far the best choice if you want to grow a pear in less than ideal conditions.

Unusually amongst pears, Conference is effectively self-fertile. However nearby pollination partners will help cropping - try Doyenne du Comice or Williams.

Conference will also pollinate some late-flowering Asian pears which overlap with its flowering time.

All pears tend to grow with a vertical habit, but this is particularly the case with Conference, which can have a distinctly columnar upright appearance.

Recommended pollinators for Conference pear trees

Conference is self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit. However you are likely to get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby. If you are not sure about pollination requirements just ask us.

  • Pollinator Williams
    Williams
    Williams is a classic self-fertile English pear, with good flavour, heavy-cropping, and quite easy to grow.
  • Pollinator Sensation
    Sensation
    A red-coloured sport of the popular Williams pear, with a similar good flavour.
  • Pollinator Invincible
    Invincible
    Invincible is a high quality pear which can also cope with difficult conditions.
  • Pollinator Winter Nelis
    Winter Nelis
    A late-season dessert pear from Belgium, with an excellent sweet flavour.
  • Pollinator Obelisk
    Obelisk
    A useful dwarf pear tree for small gardens, it grows with a tidy upright habit and is self-fertile.
  • Pollinator Fondante d'Automne
    Fondante d'Automne
    An old fashioned French pear with a notably sweet flavour.
  • Pollinator Santa Claus
    Santa Claus
    As the name suggests, Santa Claus is a late ripening dessert pear which keeps until Christmas.
  • Pollinator Gorham
    Gorham
    A reliable early 20th century American pear, with a sweet creamy flesh.
  • More pollinators >

History

Conference was developed by the Rivers Nursery of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, in the second half of the 19th century. It is thought to be a seedling of a continental variety called Van Mons Leon Leclerc.

It was named after the National British Pear Conference held in 1885.


Conference characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Flowering group3
  • Pollinating othersGood
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesMild damp climatesWarm climates

Using

  • Picking seasonMid
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping (of fruit)2-3 weeks
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

  • Disease resistanceAverage
  • Scab (Apple and Pear)Some resistance
  • Fire blightSome susceptibility

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Fruit colourGreen - light
  • AwardsRHS AGM (current)

Similar varieties

  • Conference Moors Giant
    Moors Giant is a natural sport of the popular Conference pear - all the same qualities, but with much larger fruit size.

British-grown trees Trees grown in the UK.

Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK. Find out more.

All our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance. Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. Find out more.

Guaranteed fruit trees

When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden while it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund, subject to some conditions. Find out more.

More about pear trees

Dessert pears are amongst the most desirable of all orchard fruits, with their characteristic sweet flavours. Most of the varieties we know today arose in the first half of the 19th century, when there was an explosion of interest among amateur and professional growers in raising new varieties, particularly in Belgium, France, and England. The aim was to achieve a buttery soft flesh and exquisite rich flavour.

Unlike apples, dessert pears can't usually be eaten straight from the tree, and should not be left to ripen on the tree. Instead aim to pick them just before they are ripe, and then place them in a fruit bowl for a few days.


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