Autumn 2021We are selling out of many of the trees already this season. Please order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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Conference pear trees

Pyrus communis
Conference
Conference has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritConference is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

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.

Conference pear trees for sale

Pot-grown

All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.

  • PG12-year bush-trained 11.5L pot-grown tree Quince Eline rootstock £47.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
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  • PG2Premium cordon 12L pot-grown tree Quince Eline rootstock £48.00
    Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
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  • PG3Step-over 12L pot-grown tree Quince Eline rootstock £53.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
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  • PG42-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree Quince A rootstock £44.00
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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  • PG5Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree Quince A rootstock £48.50
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree Quince Eline rootstock £29.25
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
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  • BR22-year bush-trained bare-root tree Quince Eline rootstock £36.50
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR3Cordon-trained bare-root tree Quince Eline rootstock £37.50
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
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  • BR41-year bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £27.95
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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  • BR52-year bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £36.50
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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  • BR62-year half-standard bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £36.50
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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  • BR71-year bare-root tree Pyrodwarf rootstock £29.75
    Large tree (3m-4m after 10 years)
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Next deliveries

Order now for delivery from October 2021 for pot grown trees or December onwards for bare-root trees. Mixed pot grown and bare-root trees orders will be sent out from December onwards.

How to grow

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.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

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
  • WildlifeRHS Plants for Pollinators

Using

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

Problems

  • Disease resistanceAverage
  • ScabSome resistance

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.