Doyenne du Comice pear trees

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• Picking season: Late
• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
• Flowering group: 4
• Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993

Doyenne du Comice is arguably the best flavoured of all pears.

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Doyenne du Comice pear trees for sale

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)
  

  Out of stock
• PG2Premium cordon 12L pot-grown tree, Quince Eline rootstock£62.50
  Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock
• PG32-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree, Quince A rootstock£58.75
  Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock
• 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)
  

  Out of stock
• 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)
  

  Out of stock
• BR52-year bush-trained bare-root tree,Quince A rootstock£47.50
  Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock
• BR62-year half-standard bare-root tree,Quince A rootstock£48.50
  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

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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

Order now for delivery from 26th May.

Delivery charges

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

All about Doyenne du Comice pear trees

Comice is widely considered to have the best flavour of any pear. It has both the characteristic "melting" flesh of the highest quality pear varieties, along with a sweet richness and delicacy which others can't quite attain.

Although originating from France it was well-known in England by the late 19th century and the Victorian author Robert Hogg records several letters from fellow enthusiasts praising its "surpassing flavour".

As with all pears, it is important to get the time of picking right. Unlike apples, which are usually best if left to ripen on the tree, pears should be picked under-ripe and then ripened indoors in a cold room (or in a fridge). In the UK Doyenne du Comice is generally ready to pick in early to mid October, and the pears should be left for a couple of weeks to ripen. The skin colour will change from green to a dull golden yellow.

Growing and Training

As befits such a refined pear, Doyenne du Comice needs to be grown in a sheltered south-facing situation, and it does best in the drier climate of the south or east side of the UK. Espalier or fan-training against a south-facing wall is the ideal.

The other important consideration with Comice is that it needs a reliable pollination partner nearby, as the shape of its flowers makes it difficult for successful pollination to occur. Conference is a good choice as it is a naturally good pollinator and flowers just 3-4 days ahead of Comice, as are Gorham or Williams or Beth - the latter works well with Doyenne du Comice because they have separate fruiting seasons.

The fruit size is relatively large by pear standards - provided you thin the fruitlets in late spring.

Inspite of its somewhat fussy requirements, Comice is quite resistant to fireblight, one of the main diseases of pears.

History

Doyenne du Comice was raised in the garden of the Comice Horticole, in the town of Angers in the Loire valley, France, during the mid-19th century.

You might also like these varieties

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  Concorde
  A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
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  Conference
  Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
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  Invincible
  Invincible is a high quality pear which can also cope with difficult conditions.
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  Williams
  Williams is a classic self-fertile English pear, with good flavour, heavy-cropping, and quite easy to grow.

• British-grown trees

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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

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, pears which are grown for eating fresh - known as 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.