Pear, Common

The European Pear, Pyrus communis, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia. It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Europe, North America and Australia have been developed. Typically quite upright and conical with very narrow branch angles. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching 30–55 feet tall, often with a tall, narrow crown; a few species are shrubby.

The LEAVES are alternate, simple, ovate with a finely serrated margin, 1 to 4 inches in length, shiny green above, paler and dull below; 0.8–4.7 inches long, glossy green on some species, densely silvery-hairy in some others. The leaf shape varies from broad oval to narrow lanceolate.

Clusters of showy white FLOWERS (each 1/2 to 3/4 inch across) appearing before or with the leaves. They are white, rarely tinted yellow or pink, 0.8–1.6 inches in diameter and have five petals.

The FRUIT is a large edible pome (3.0 to 4.0 inches), pear-shaped. The fruit is composed of the receptacle or upper end of the flower-stalk (the so-called calyx tube) greatly dilated. Enclosed within its cellular flesh is the true fruit: five cartilaginous carpals, known colloquially as the “core”. From the upper rim of the receptacle are given off the five sepals, the five petals, and the very numerous stamens. The shape varies in most species from oblate or globose, to the classic pyriform ‘pear-shape’ of the European pear with an elongated basal portion and a bulbous end.

The TWIGS are glossy brown to reddish brown, medium in texture, spur shoots present; terminal buds are medium in size (less than 1/4 inch), conical to dome shaped, and may be lightly hairy.

The BARK is gray-brown to reddish brown, becoming grayish brown with shallow furrows and flat-topped scaly ridges.

Fruit that is left to ripen on the tree typically falls and then disappears quite quickly as all manner of WILDLIFE relish the pear as a source of both food and water.