Summer 2025Pre-order now for delivery September onwards.
Tel. 01759 392007

Santa Claus pear trees

Pyrus communis
Santa Claus is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Very late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 4

Santa Claus is a late-season dessert pear or winter pear. It is usually picked in October and then allowed to ripen in storage for Christmas.

The pears are large, and heavily russeted, with a sweet juicy flesh.

Santa Claus also has some ornamental appeal - the spring blossom is attractive and the leaves take on fiery-red tints in the autumn.

Santa Claus pear trees for sale

Pot-grown

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

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

  • PG12-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree, Pyrodwarf rootstock£59.00
    Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree,Quince A interstem rootstock£38.25
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR21-year bare-root tree,Pyrodwarf rootstock£40.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR31-year bare-root tree,Pyrus c. Kirchensaller rootstock£40.50
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)

Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts

Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.

Tree specification

Photos of trees as supplied | Tree sizes and forms

Pre-ordering

Pre-order now for delivery in September 2025

Delivery charges

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

Growing and Training

Santa Claus does best in a warm sheltered location. Cropping can be light in UK conditions.

Santa Claus is not self-fertile, but readily cross-pollinates with other late-flowering pears.

Recommended pollinators for Santa Claus pear trees

Santa Claus is not self-fertile, so you will need another different but compatible variety planted nearby in order to produce fruit. The following varieties are good pollinators for Santa Claus. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Conference
    Conference
    Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
  • Pollinator Concorde
    Concorde
    A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
  • Pollinator Beurre Superfin
    Beurre Superfin
    A traditional French 19th century pear, widely considered one of the best for flavour.
  • Pollinator Gorham
    Gorham
    A reliable early 20th century American pear, with a sweet creamy flesh.
  • Pollinator Clapps Favourite
    Clapps Favourite
    An attractive red-flushed early-season pear from the USA.

History

Santa Claus is thought to have originated from France in the 19th century. It was introduced to the RHS in the UK in 1905 by Colonel Brymer, who had obtained trees from Belgium.


Santa Claus characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group4
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates

Using

  • Picking seasonVery late
  • CroppingLight
  • Keeping (of fruit)3 months or more
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

  • Disease resistanceGood
  • Scab (Apple and Pear)Very resistant

Identification

  • Country of originFrance
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Blossom colourWhite
  • Fruit colourGreen - lightRusset
  • Flesh colourWhite

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.

In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance. Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK. 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.


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