Asian Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Asian pear is a pear tree native to southern China and the wild parent of the nashi, the crisp, round, apple-like pear sold in US grocery stores. Wild trees bear small, hard, brown fruit only about 1¼ in (3 cm) across; the big juicy pears come from cultivated forms. It is also called sand pear.

Appearance

Growth form: A deciduous tree, typically 16–33 ft (5–10 m) tall and up to about 40 ft (12 m).
Leaves: Oval leaves 2¾–4 in (7–10 cm) long, with a long-pointed tip and bristle-tipped teeth along the edge.
Flowers: White flowers in loose, flat-topped clusters of about 5–10.
Fruit: Round and brown with pale speckles, about 1¼ in (3 cm) across, with hard, gritty flesh.

Look-alikes

Callery pearPyrus calleryana

Callery (Bradford) pear has tiny fruits under ⅜ in (1 cm), and its early spring blossoms have a strong, unpleasant smell.

Why they get mixed upBoth are Asian pear trees covered in white blossoms in spring.

Where it lives

Range: Native to southern China and northern Indochina; it has long grown in Korea and Japan too, though whether it is native there is debated. In the US it is grown mostly as orchard varieties, and escaped trees have been reported in a few states.

Growing it

Care: The wild tree entered Western gardens in 1909, when plant hunter E. H. Wilson collected it for the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts. Crosses of orchard varieties with the European pear, such as 'Leconte', handle the southern US climate better than European pears do.

Name and classification

About the name: Older books may call it Pyrus serotina. The large orchard pears are grouped as Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: The cultivated Asian pears sold in stores are usually eaten fresh and peeled rather than baked. In Korean cooking, grated pear sweetens marinades and tenderizes beef for bulgogi.