When choosing pear trees for the home landscape consider both heirloom and modern varieties. Both types have something to offer for the home gardener. The Magneses pear is a very good choice.

This modern variety was released by USDA in 1960. Its parents were Seckel and Comice. It was introduced the same year as Moonglow. This is highly recommended for home orchards. Available as dwarf and standard trees, this is hardy to Michigan. It is suitable for zones four or five to nine.

Cross-pollination is needed. You can use either another European variety like Moonglow or Seckel or an Asian pear. For best results, plant the pollen source very close by. Even then the pollination won’t be perfectly uniform.

This variety doesn’t appear to be as productive as some pears. It is slow to begin bearing. In general, the crop is relatively small compared with other varieties. Despite the small crop the fruit is such premium quality that this almost matches that of the Bartlett.

This tree has some resistance to fire blight. The young shoots and blossoms are resistant. However, the trunk can still get some blight. It has some resistance to pear psylla.

The strong growing tree has a wide spreading growth habit. It does very well in the West and South. It can serve as a pollen source for other pears that need cross-pollination.

The large to medium fruits are short, and oval to pear shaped. These ripen a little later than the Bartlett, usually in early September into October. Sometimes they can ripen in late August.

These fruits are very aromatic and perfume-like. Considered to be one of the best flavored European pears, it was very highly rated by Elweyn Meader, a famous fruit breeder.

The fruits can be stored for up to two months with refrigeration. This has a green skin that ripens to yellow or yellow-green. It has some russeting and spots. There can also be a red blush.

The very fine grained flesh is firm yet tender. It has a very sweet rich flavor. This has juicy, melting, buttery flesh.