Temperate Climate Permaculture: Asian Pear Varieties... just a sampling

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Asian Pear Varieties... just a sampling

I recently wrote an article about Asian Pears. Being that I am just barely familiar with this tree, other than an occasional taste of unknown varieties, I thought I would find some information about a few of the varieties that are out there. Included in this list of 25 are the most common, popular, flavorful varieties as well as a few traditional ones and brand new ones. I tried to list them in roughly the order that they ripen.

As always, this website is about me gathering information so that I can go back and reference it as I need. There are some areas of missing information that I just couldn't find in a reasonable amount of time. If you have a link to a site that provides any of the missing information in my listings, please feel free to post a comment. So without further ado...

http://www.asiannursery.com/image/pear/Ichiban%20Nashi.jpg

1. Ichiban Nashi ("First Pear")

Season: Early. Ripening ahead of 'Shinseiki', 'Shinsui', and 'Kosui.'
Size: Large
Shape:
Color: Light gold to brown. Russet.
Taste: Sweet
Storage: keeps poorly
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/124279/Hosui.jpg

2. Shinsui ("New Juice")

Season: Early (after 'Ichiban Nashi' and before 'Shinseiki')
Size: Medium
Shape: Round with a little flattening
Color: Orange-yellow-brown, russet. Mild grit. Off-white flesh.
Taste: Outstanding flavor, very sweet, crisp, very juicy.
Storage: Delicate. Bruises easily. Stores for up to a month.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Moderately susceptible to fire blight.
Notes: Precocious and very productive

http://www.penrynorchardspecialties.com/Images/sized%20photos/Horizontal/448x336horizontal/packedkosui.jpg

3. Kosui ("Juice of Good Fortune")

Cross of Kikusui ("floating chrysanthemum") x Wase-Kozo. Japanese selection introduced in 1959.

Season: Early
Size: Medium to Small
Shape:
Color: Light green to yellow-golden-bronze. Russet. White flesh.
Taste: Very sweet, slightly tart, juicy, tender, crisp.
Storage: Excellent. Up to 5 months.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Resistant to Alternaria black-spot and moderately resistant to pear scab. Leaves sensitive to 2-spot spider mites. Very susceptible to fire blight.
Notes: A strong-growing tree with leaves sensitive many sprays.

http://lghttp.17653.nexcesscdn.net/808B16/cdn_images/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/f/t/ft160-a.jpg

4. Shinseiki ("New Century")
Cross of Nijisseki ("20th Century") x Chojuro ("Plentiful"). Japanese selection introduced in 1945.

Season: Early
Size: Medium
Shape: Globular, lop-sided
Color: Green to yellow-green to bright yellow, smooth. White flesh.
Taste: Sweet, slightly tart, firm to rock hard, crunchy, course, juicy
Storage: Excellent, 3-5 months
Fertility: Self-Fertile, but more productive with another pollenizer
Pests/Disease: Fire blight susceptible, but some have moderate resistance
Notes: Fruit hangs on the tree well.

http://www.silveradoonline.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/Hosui2010.jpg

5. Hosui ("Abundant Juice")

Cross of (Kikusui x Yakumo) x Yakumo. Japanese selection introduced in 1972. Touted as the best flavored Asian Pear.

Season: Early-Mid
Size: Large
Shape: Round-globular
Color: Yellow-gold-brown, heavily russeted
Taste: Tender, sweet, brandy aroma, low-acid, juicy. Overripe specimens develop a rummy taste.
Storage: Good. 4-8 weeks.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Good resistance to pear scab disease. Susceptible to fire blight and bacterial canker.
Notes: The tree is vigorous, willowy and spreading. Loose growth habit.

http://www.myseasons.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/3/5/3507.jpg

6. Chojuro ("Plentiful")

Chance seedling of Pyrus pyrifolia. Japanese selection introduced in 1895.

Season: Early-Mid
Size: Medium-Large
Shape: Round-flattish
Color: Brown-orange. Russet. White flesh.
Taste: Slightly aromatic, butterscotch flavor. Flavor improves with storage. Not as juicy as newer varieties. Moderately gritty in some seasons.
Storage: Excellent. Stores for up to 5 months, but bruises easily.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Moderately susceptible to

fire blight; apparently resistant to pear scab and Alternaria black spot.
Notes: Tree is precocious and productive. It must be picked when first yellow-brown in color or fruit is subject to severe bruising and skin discoloration.

http://www.asiannursery.com/image/pear/Seigyoku.jpg

7. Seigyoku ("Sapphire")

Hybrid of Nijisseki ("20th Century") x Chojuro ("Plentiful")

Season: Early-Mid
Size:
Shape: Round
Color: Light green to yellow, smooth.
Taste: Average quality
Storage:
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes:

http://www.penrynorchardspecialties.com/Images/sized%20photos/Horizontal/448x336horizontal/packed%2020th%20004.jpg

8. Nijisseki ("20th Century"), aka Nijusseiki
Japanese selection introduced in 1898. Considered the standard for flavor.

Season: Mid
Size: Small
Shape: Uniform, round-globular, lop-sided
Color: Pale yellow-green. White flesh.
Taste: Sweet, slightly tart, firm, very juicy, crisp, very little grittiness. Mildly aromatic.
Storage: Excellent, 3-6 months, but bruises easily
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Quite susceptible to pear scab and fire blight.
Notes: Semi-spur habit, vigorous. It should not be grown on P. communis rootstock because it is severely dwarfed. The fruit ripens in mid-August. It grows well on P. betulaefolia, P. calleryana, and P. serotina. Old trees need spur removal and rejuvenating pruning to maintain fruit size. The tree is naturally well shaped and easy to handle.

http://www.asiannursery.com/image/Pear/Yoinashi.jpg

9. Yoinashi

Season: Mid. Ripens with Nijiesiki ("20th Century")
Size: Large
Shape: Brown
Color:
Taste: Considered excellent
Storage:
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes:

http://www.fowlernurseries.com/graphics/TseLi.jpg

10. Tse Li (aka Tsu Li)

Complex hybrid of Pyrus ussuriensis x (P. x bretschneideri).

Season: Mid
Size: Large
Shape: Football-shaped or Pear-shaped
Color: Green
Taste: Not edible right off the tree. Taste is better with more storage time. Very sweet, aromatic, almost no acid
Storage: Amazing. 6-10 months.
Fertility: Ya Li is appropriate pollenizer.
Pests/Disease: Some fire blight tolerance. Seems to be damaged less by insects than Japanese varieties.
Notes: Blooms very early, so is especially susceptible to late spring frosts. 'Tsu Li' in California and 'Tsu Li' in China are not the same cultivar.

http://www.asiannursery.com/image/Pear/Yoinashi.jpg

11. Yoinashi ("Good Pear")

New variety.

Season: Mid
Size: Large to medium
Shape:
Color: Golden-brown-buff. Off-white flesh.
Taste: Good flavor. Tender, crisp, juicy.
Storage: Good. Up to 3 months.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Trees appear to resist bacterial canker but are very susceptible to fire blight.
Notes:

https://www.willisorchards.com/siteImages/products/0000/0353/pear.jpg?1235024121

12. Shinko ("New Success")

Seedling of Nijisseki ("20th Century"). Japanese selection introduced in 1941.

Season: Mid-Late
Size: Medium to Large
Shape: Round to slightly flat
Color: Gold-bronze. Russet.
Taste: Distinctive rich, sweet, nutty flavor, juicy, crisp, firm.
Storage: Good. Up to 2 months, but may make it to 4 months
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Nearly to completely resistant to fire blight
Notes: Fine winter keeper. Very productive.

https://www.onegreenworld.com/images/products/200x200/0615.jpg

13. Daisui Li

New University of California hybrid

Season: Mid-Late
Size: Very large
Shape: Round and slightly flattened
Color: Greenish to yellow. Very white flesh.
Taste: Sweet with a bit of tartness, crisp, slightly coarse.
Storage: Excellent. 3-6 months.
Fertility: Pollinated by 'Shin Li'
Pests/Disease:
Notes: Trees are extremely vigorous

http://summertomato.com/farmers-market-update-fleet-week/

14. Shin Li

New University of California hybrid. Hybrid between Japanese variety Kikusui and Tse Li. Introduced in 1988.

Season: Mid to Late
Size: Very large
Shape: Round and slightly flattened
Color: Yellowish to light green. Russet
Taste: Sweet and spicy, cinnamon aroma.
Storage: Excellent. 3-4 months.
Fertility: Pollinated by 'Dasui Li'
Pests/Disease: Conflicting reports about susceptibility/resistance to fire blight.
Notes: Trees are extremely vigorous

http://www.gurneys.com/images/250/68045.jpg

15. Olympic (aka Korean Giant, Large Korean, Dan Beh)

Season: Mid-Late?
Size: Very large
Shape:
Color: Orange-bronze. Russet. White flesh.
Taste: Sweet with earthy flavor, crisp, juicy.
Storage: Excellent. Up to 5 months.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease: Excellent tolerance to fire blight.
Notes: One of the more cold-hardy Pyrus pyrifolia.

http://www.cookhereandnow.com/cookhereandnow/images/2007/09/30/kikusui_asian_pear.jpg

16. Kikusui ("Floating Chrysanthemum")

The floating chrysanthemum is the crest of the Japanese royal family.

Season: Mid to Late
Size: Medium
Shape: Roundish-flat
Color: Yellow-green, dull
Taste: Similar to Nijiesiki ("20th Century"), sweet, slightly tart, firm, very juicy, crisp, gritty/coarse. Mildly aromatic.
Storage: Tender skin
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes: Mother of many new varieties. Fruit has preharvest drop problems. Tree has average vigor.

http://www.fowlernurseries.com/graphics/YaLi.jpg

17. Ya Li ("Duck Pear")

A variety of Pyrus ussuriensis. An old Chinese variety of very good quality, it is the most important pear cultivar in China.

Season: Late. Ripening a month after Nijiesiki ("20th Century")
Size: Large
Shape: Pear-shaped with long stem
Color: Green to yellow-green, smooth, slightly waxy. White flesh.
Taste: Sweet-tart, mild, crisp.
Storage: Excellent. Tender. Up to 5 months.
Fertility: Requires cross-pollination by other early flowering cultivars such as 'Tsu Li' and 'Seuri'.
Pests/Disease: Somewhat tolerant of fire blight (probably because of early bloom time).
Notes: Vigorous grower. Hardy. Trees are very productive and vigorous on all pear rootstocks. Blooms very early, so frost susceptible; 4 or 5 days earlier than Japanese varieties. This cultivar is slower to come into production than most Japanese cultivars.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0018/124290/niitaka.jpg

18. Niitaka ("New Quantity")

Season: Late
Size: Large
Shape: Round, oblong
Color: Yellow-orange-brown, Russet.
Taste: Bland, average flavor, firm, coarse.
Storage: Good. Up to 2 months.
Fertility: The flowers are pollen-sterile but it sets well when cross-pollinated with most varieties.
Pests/Disease: Fire blight susceptible.
Notes: High production.

http://www.grandpasorchard.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-204.jpg

19. Arirang ("Sweet Pear")

Korean variety.

Season: Late
Size: Large
Shape:
Color: Orange-brown
Taste: Very sweet and juicy, crisp, firm
Storage: Excellent. Up to 6 months.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes:

http://www.fowlernurseries.com/graphics/Atago.jpg

20. Atago

Season: Late
Size: Large
Shape:
Color: Brown-orange. Russet.
Taste: Sweet, slightly tart, crisp
Storage: Good. Up to 4 months.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes: Trees are upright, spreading and

medium in vigor.

http://fruitmaven.com/wp-content/gallery/seuri-pear/dsc_0233-small.jpg

21. Seuri (in Chinese, it may be Se Li "Red Pear")

Season: Late
Size: Large
Shape: Round
Color: Dark orange to yellow. Russet. Yellow to white flesh.
Taste: Sweet, rich, crisp, hints of apricot. Fruit flavor is excellent, especially in hot climates.
Storage: Good. 1-3 months.
Fertility: Should be pollinated by 'Ya Li', another early bloomer.
Pests/Disease: Conflicting reports about susceptibility/resistance to fire blight
Notes: Delicious but unattractive. Trees used as pollinizers. It is a low-chill, early blooming variety.

http://edible.wdfiles.com/local--files/file:photo1-20/photo1.jpg

22. Okusankichi ("Madame Luck")

Traditional Japanese variety from mid-19th century.

Season: Very Late
Size:
Shape: Oval or turban-shaped.
Color: Brown. Russet.
Taste: Sweet-tart, very firm, crisp, slightly coarse. Flavor improves with storage.
Storage: Good.
Fertility:
Pests/Disease:
Notes: