There is a large selection of pear varieties - we have listed the best pear varieties for your garden in an overview with pictures for you.
Unfortunately, many people only know the pear from the supermarket. The popular local fruit is often marketed there as table pears. In order to find the name of the variety, the customer has to take a closer look at the label. So that more pear trees are planted in your own garden again, you will find a detailed list with descriptions and pictures of the best pear varieties.
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- Pear varieties: Well-tried varieties
- Preserve old pear varieties
- The best pear varieties (list)
Pear varieties: Well-tried varieties
While the Williams Christ (1770) and Conference (1894) varieties come from England, the Good Luise (1778) and Abate Fetel (originally named Abbé Fétel after their discoverer in 1866) originated in France. These varieties have managed to occupy a permanent place on the fruit shelves to this day. If you take a closer look at the cultural history of the pear, it is not surprising that some of these varieties are well over 200 years old. In addition to various types of wild pears, table pears, also known as cultivated pears, have their origins in Asia. From there, the culture pear spread across the Balkans to Greece, where it was specifically bred and propagated over 3,000 years ago. Especially in the 18th and 19th In the 19th century, the pear literally blossomed. European breeders, mainly from Belgium, England and France, crossed, selected and propagated all kinds of pear varieties. Many of these varieties quickly spread through Central Europe through traders and business people.
Preserve old pear varieties
Unfortunately, many of the previously widespread varieties can now only be found in a few places. The old regional varieties, some of which have proven themselves for centuries in the respective climatic conditions, are particularly at risk. With these varieties, not only does part of the natural heritage or the natural gene pool disappear, but also part of the quality of life and way of life.
However, you can still find them sometimes on old orchards: the good old pear varieties. Often refined on vigorous rootstocks, these standard pears offer shelter for all kinds of living beings such as colored and Green woodpeckers, Tawny owls or push dormouse. Fortunately, some specialists have taken on the propagation of old and special pear varieties and also offer standard pears. For this reason, we at Plantura would like to do our part to ensure that at least some of these pear varieties continue to be preserved in people's minds and gardens.
Below is the list of the new, tough, and old pear varieties.
The best pear varieties (list)
Abate Fetel: Found in France around 1866; large, long fruits; yellow-green skin with slight russeting; Ripe for picking from the end of September, ripe for consumption from October to November; juicy-sweet, semi-melting pulp; Pollinators: all good pollen donors.
Alexander Lucas: This variety was bred in France in 1870; is highly valued in both intensive and amateur cultivation; medium-sized, bell-bellied fruits; smooth, greenish-yellow skin, later colored bright yellow and dotted with light red or rusty spots; Maturity from the end of September; Can be kept for up to 6 months in cold storage; juicy pulp with a pleasant, mild-sweet taste; resistant to pests, but sensitive to wind and scab; Fertilizer: Conference, Good Luise, Bosc’s bottle pear, Williams Christmas Pear, Madame Verte.
Bavarian wine pear (also: Badische Mostbirne): First mentioned in 1906; very large, bottle-shaped fruits; whitish-green skin with an attractive orange-red sunny side; Maturity in October; can be stored for about 6 months; juicy pulp with a sweet and tart aroma; little susceptible to diseases, fire blight resistant, hardy; good orchard variety.
Blumenbach's butter pear (also: Soldat Laboreur, Auguste van Mons Soldat): Was bred in 1820; belongs to the endangered pear varieties; medium-sized, pear-shaped fruits; whitish-green skin, later whitish-yellow and rusted like a web, often more drawn in on one side on the steep slope; Ripe from the end of October; early and rich yield; fine, melting pulp with a refreshing, melon-like aroma.
Blood pear: Very rare variety; Medium-sized fruits; green to red washed out, striped skin; Ripe for picking from September, ripe for consumption by October; Showy, rose-red pulp with white veins; popular as: juice; Pollinators: all good pollen donors.
Boscs’s bottle pear (also: Kaiser Alexander, Kaiserkrone, Alexanderbirne): Found in France in 1780 and came to Germany in 1810; medium-sized, bottle-shaped fruits with a thick belly; yellowish-green, cloudy skin, yellowish-brown color and brownish russeting when fully ripe; Autumn pear: ripening from the end of October; hard-picked, long shelf life; Very juicy flesh, sweet in taste with a noble spice; not susceptible to scab, slightly sensitive to copper and sulfur; good pollen donor; Fertilizer: Conference, Williams Christmas Pear, Madame Verté.
Colorful July pear: First recorded in France in 1857; medium-sized, conical to pear-shaped fruit; Skin green-yellow to bright yellow, flamed red on the sunny side; Summer pear: ripening from July; juicy, melt-in-the-mouth pulp; hardy; prefers a sunny to partially shaded, protected location; popular as: dessert fruit, compote, juice, fruit brandy, cake topping, for preserving.
Clapp's darling: Even, medium to large fruits; light, yellowish-green skin, yellowish-red on the sunny side; Autumn pear: ripening in mid to late August; harvest hard ripe; sweet and sour, juicy pulp; undemanding early pear; cultivate sheltered from the wind; high yields; Fertilizer: Good Luise, William's Christ pear, Bosc‘s bottle pear.
Concorde: Bred in England in 1969 from Comice x Conference; medium-sized, oblong, bottle-shaped fruits; green-yellow, rough skin with small rust spots; Ripening in mid to late September; high yield; crisp, juicy flesh with a pleasant sweet and sour aroma; little susceptible to scab; also grows in the bucket; popular as: table pear, compote.
Condo: Crossed from the varieties Vereinsdechants x Conference in the Netherlands in 1965; young pear variety; medium-sized, crooked pear-shaped fruits; smooth, green-yellow skin; Maturity from the end of September; Ripe for consumption from October to December; juicy, melting pulp with a sweet aroma and fine acidity; frost hardy; popular as: table pear.
Conference: Bred in England in 1894; bottle-shaped fruits; green skin, light yellow when mature; Maturity from mid-September to early October; very juicy and tenderly melting flesh, tasty with a slightly spicy aroma; winterproof and perennial; Form fruit growing, tall trunks, trellises, including as container plants for balconies or terraces; hardly any housing; very low in calories and high in fiber; most popular table pear.
Double Phillips pear (also: Beurré de Mérode, Sommer Diel): In Belgium in the 19th Bred in the 17th century; large, truncated cone-shaped fruits; green, later pale yellow skin, attractive red in color on the sunny side; Autumn pear: ripening from September; early onset, high yields; very juicy, tenderly melting flesh with a refreshingly sweet aroma; little susceptible to diseases and pests; popular as: table pear, fruit salad, cake topping.
Vascular pear: Old, local pear variety from the Breisgau and Markgrälerland; medium-sized, bulbous fruits; green-yellow skin, reddened on the sunny side; Maturity from September; spicy and sweet pulp; popular as: table, economy, cooking and cider pear
Early from Trevoux: Medium to large, pear-shaped fruits; smooth green-yellow skin, yellow-red on the sunny side; Ripe for picking in August (harvest when ripe), ripe for consumption from late August to early September; refreshing, juicy, melting pulp; very resistant to diseases; Fertilizer: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Gellert's Butter Pear, Williams Christmas Pear, Madame Verté.
Gellert's Butter Pear: Bred in France in 1820 and named after the songwriter Gellert; large, blunt, broad pear-shaped fruits; dull green to yellow skin with typical brown rust coating, orange-red on the sunny side; Ripe from the beginning of September to mid-October; Best before the end of October; very juicy, melting pulp with a sweet, tartaric aroma; little susceptible to scab, good frost resistance; prefers a sunny, sheltered place; Popular as: table pears, fruit salads, dried, juice, and canned pears; Fertilizer: Good Luise, William's Christ pear.
Countess of Paris: Bred in France in 1884; large, elongated fruits; light green skin, yellowish opaque color; ready to pick from mid to late October, ready to eat from November to February; coarse-grained, sweet and juicy pulp, exquisite taste; Pollinators: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Colorful July pear, Clapps darling, Gellert's Butter Pear, Madame Verté, Williams Christmas Pear.
Big cat head (also: Kronprinz Ferdinand, Schinkenbirne, Winterbutterbirne): Was already grown in Franconian tree nurseries in 1590; only occasionally widespread today; very large, spherical-top-shaped fruits; thick, matt-glossy skin, yellowish in color, flamed brownish-red on the sunny side, many brown skin points and slight russeting; Ripe for picking from mid-October; Ripe for consumption from December to January; abundant yield; firm, juicy flesh with a sweet aroma; turns reddish in color when cooked; popular as: boiled, dried and cider pear.
Good Luise (also: Mrs. Louise Bonne Louise d’Avranches, Bonne de Longueval, William IV, Prince of Württemberg, French Rousselet): Traditional variety from Normandy; small to medium-sized, pear-shaped fruits; smooth, shiny, green skin with a washed-out reddish color; Ripe from the beginning of September to October; in cold storage until January; fine-celled pulp with a sweetish, slightly fruity aroma typical of the variety; very susceptible to scab, somewhat sensitive to wood frost; prefers a sunny, sheltered location; popular as: table pear, fruit salad, cake topping, for canning.
Hofratsbirne (also: Conseiller de la Cour, Marchal de Cour): One of the last breeds of the Belgian van Mons; large, spinning top to bottle-shaped fruits; rough, light green skin with thick, brown peel points, when fully ripe, dark yellowish-green and conspicuously rusted with cinnamon; Ripe for picking from the end of September, ripe for consumption from mid-October; easy to store, but quickly overripe; white, very juicy flesh with pleasant acidity and fine spice; extremely robust variety against fungal diseases and other pests; low soil demands; popular as: table pear, compote; Fertilizer: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Gellert's Butter Pear, Good Luise, Congress pear, Delicious from Charneux, Madame Verté.
Josephine of Mechelen: Bred in Belgium in 1829 or 1830; small to medium-sized, top-shaped fruits; Winter pear: ripens from December to February or March; good storage properties; very juicy, sweet-aromatic taste with fine spice; also suitable for trellises; good pollen donor; popular as: table pear
Congress pear (also: Souvenir du Congress): Bred in France in 1852; received its name in memory of the international pomologists congress in Paris in 1867; very large, irregular and dented fruits; smooth, yellowish-green skin; when ripe, deep yellow in color and attractive red washed out and streaked on the sunny side, individual rust spots; Autumn pear: ripening in September; only lasts for a short time; very juicy flesh with a sweet aroma without acid; moderately susceptible to scab; one of the largest pear varieties; popular as: table pear, compote; Pollinator: Williams pear, Delicious from Charneux.
Delicious from Charneux: Bred in Belgium; large, oval or conical fruits; fine, greenish-yellow, later golden-yellow skin, streaky reddening on the sunny side; Maturity from mid-October; very juicy, melting pulp with an intensely sweet and spicy aroma; popular as: table and commercial pear; extremely robust variety, is also suitable for cultivation as a house tree on normal garden soil; Fertilizer: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Gellert's Butter Pear, Good Luise, William's Christ pear.
Cow foot: Mainly widespread in Northern Germany; bulbous, medium-sized fruits; yellow-green to red skin; ready to pick from September, ready to eat until mid-October; fine, sweet and juicy pulp; is very suitable for damp soils; popular as: business woman; Pollinators: all good pollen donors.
Lebrun's Butter Pear (also: Le Brun): Bred in France in 1855; large, long-conical, bell-bellied or cylindrical fruits; lemon-yellow peel, finely dotted and with rust spots around the cup and stem; Ripening period from September to October; very juicy, melting pulp with a sweet-wine-like, spicy aroma; Lover variety; not windproof; popular as: table pear.
Madame Verté: Bred in Belgium in 1820; medium-sized, bulbous fruits; thick, dull gray skin, dull yellow in color and slightly reddened on the sunny side; Winter pear: ripe for picking in October, ripe for consumption from November to January; firm but juicy flesh with a refreshing fruity, tart and sweet aroma; high yield; suitable for trellis cultivation, orchards or as a house tree; popular as: table pear, lager pear, compote; Fertilizer: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Gellert's Butter Pear, Delicious from Charneux, Association Dechantsbirne, William's Christ pear.
Minister Dr. Lucius (also: Lucius): moved near Leipzig in 1884; belongs to the pharmacist pear family; large, round to ovate or oblong pear-shaped fruits; smooth, greenish skin, golden-yellow when ripe, slightly reddened on the sunny side, numerous skin spots, russeting and rust spots; Maturity from September to October; very juicy flesh with a pleasant tart, sweet and sour aroma; extremely healthy; insensitive to pests; great fertility; popular as: table pear, compote, juice; Fertilizer: Good Luise, Blumenbach's butter pear, Bosc‘s bottle pear.
Pitmaston (also: Pitmaston Duchesse, Pitmastons Herzogin, Williams Duchess): Bred in England in 1841 from the Duchess of Angouleme x Hardenponts butter pear; very large, elongated pear-shaped, bumpy, uneven fruits; smooth, green skin, lemon yellow when ripe, many spots and individual rust spots; ready to pick from mid-September, ready to eat from mid-October; shelf life approx. 4 weeks; juicy, melting pulp with a tartaric aroma; susceptible to scab, sensitive to grids and pear leaf suckers; one of the largest table pears with up to 800 g per fruit; popular as: table pear, show fruit.
Princess Marianne: Bred around 1800; named after a daughter of the Dutch king; medium-sized, bottle-shaped fruits; rough, greenish to brownish-yellow skin with cinnamon-colored russeting when ripe; Autumn pear: ripening from the end of September; juicy, melting pulp with a sweet and sour aroma; very resistant to pests and diseases; popular as: dessert fruit.
Swiss trousers (also: early melon pear, cucumber pear, Schweitzer bergamot): Already known in Switzerland around 1800; small fruits with striking red, yellow and green vertical stripes (reminiscent of the robes of the Swiss Guard in the Vatican); Autumn pear: ripening from September to October; juicy, melting pulp with a sweet taste; robust and hardy lover variety; popular as: decorative table pear.
Ulm butter pear: First described in 1868 under the name Albecker Steigbirne; small, round to egg-shaped fruits; light yellow to slightly greenish skin, bright red on the sunny side; Autumn pear: ripening from late September to mid-October; Shelf life 2 weeks; juicy, melting pulp with a sweet, slightly spicy aroma; is mainly grown for orchards at higher altitudes; popular as: table pears, dried pears, for distilling schnapps.
Club dechant pear (also: Vereinsdechant, Doyenné du Comice, Comice): Bred in France in 1850; large, round to conical fruits; gray-green to yellow-green skin, slightly reddened on the sunny side, covered with yellow-brown spots, rust streaks and spots; Autumn pear: ripening from November; juicy, buttery pulp with a seductive sweet aroma and light spice (also known as the “queen of pears” because of its extraordinary taste); grows steeply upwards and should be planted on the trellis; Fertilizer: Bosc‘s bottle pear, Conference, Gellert's Butter Pear, Delicious from Charneux, William's Christ pear.
Rias Butter Pear: The mother tree of this variety is in Barmstedt; medium-sized, pear-shaped fruits; greenish skin, more golden-yellow to reddish when ripe; ready for picking from mid-August to early September; shelf life up to 3 weeks; yellowish-white, melt-in-the-mouth pulp; Pollinator: Clapp's Favorite; Good Luise; Madame Verté; William's Christ pear.
Red Williams Christmas Pear: Peculiarity among the pear varieties; large, bell-shaped fruits; smooth, yellowish skin, attractive dark red in color when ready for consumption; Summer pear: ripening from August to September; Melting, sweet pulp with a sweet, nutmeg-like aroma; popular as: refreshing table pear, juice, must, compote, jam, for making fruit brandy; Fertilizer: Association Dechantsbirne, Delicious from Charneux.
Summer bergamot: A very long-lived variety; small to medium-sized fruits; smooth yellow skin, red on the sunny side; Maturity from the end of August; very aromatic taste. Pollinators: all good pollen donors.
Stuttgarter Geißhirtle: Allegedly found by a goatherd near Stuttgart; small to medium-sized fruit; yellowish-green skin, cloudy reddish on the sunny side; Summer pear: ripening from August to September; juicy, slightly grainy pulp with a note of cinnamon; very undemanding variety, good resistance to pests and diseases; popular as: table and commercial pear; Pollinator: Clapp's darling, Gellert's Butter Pear, Good Luise, William's Christ pear.
Triumph from Vienne: Bred in France in 1874; very large fruits; rough, green-yellow skin, red on the sunny side; Maturity from mid-September; Shelf life 3 weeks; juicy, pleasantly sweet pulp; Very high yield every other year; Pollinator: Clapp's darling, Countess of Paris, Good Luise.
After choosing the variety, the next step is growing the pear. You can find out how to do this in our article on the subject of "Plant a pear tree“.