Description
Pyrus -Pear –
There are about 45 species of slow growing, upright, mainly deciduous tree and shrubs in this genus. They occur in woodland, in rocky places. And on hillsides in Europe, Western to Eastern Asia, and Northern Africa. They are grown for their habit, fragrant flowers, and fruits. The leaves are glossy, alternate, very rarely lobed, ovate to oblong, elliptic, or oval, the margins often with forward pointing teeth, some develop yellow and red autumn color. The 5 petaled,, saucer to bowl shaped flowers, borne in umbel like racemes, are white, occasionally pink, and usually have red anther borne with leaves or just before them in spring. The fruits are spherical to typically pear shaped, numerous cultivars have been bred specifically for the production of culinary and desert pears. Ornamental pears are best grown as specimen tree, the smaller ones, such as P. salicifolia ‘Chanticleer’, are particularly suitable for growing in a small garden or espaliered on a wall or fence.
Grow in any moderately fertile, well drained soil in full sun. They suitable for coastal conditions and are tolerant of drought and atmospheric pollution.
Prone to caterpillars, leaf roller, blister mites, aphids, scale insects, anthranose, dieback, canker, scab, powdery mildew, and fireblight.
P.calleryana – Callery Pear – This very not long lived, broadly conical deciduous, often very thorny tree from Southeastern China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan grows 5-60′ feet tall and 50′ feet wide. It produces ovate to broadly ovate, finely scalloped or toothed, glossy, grayish green leaves, to 3″ long, turning red in late autumn, In early spring it bears white flowers, 3/4″ across are held in umbel like racemes or up to 12, followed in autumn by inedible, spherical brown fruit, ½” across. Fireblight resistant and makes an excellent street tree.
‘Aristocrat’ – is pyramidal and thornless and has more horizontal branching and wider crotch angles, and shiny, wavy edged, dark green leaves which turn fiery red in fall
Zones 5-8
