Pyrus communis 'DOYENNÉ DU COMICE'

Doyenné du Comice pear tree variety dates back to 1849 when a newly bred plant first fruited in a French town Angers. It bears possibly the finest dessert pears ever tasted. They are large, conical, pale green to light yellow, sometimes with a red cheek or russeting of uneven amount. The flesh is pleasantly melting and tastes very sweet and delicious. Harvest begins from mid October and the fruit ripens after 4 to 5 weeks of cold storage. Stores well until late December or early January. It is not a heavy cropper but bears fruit reliably.

Being self sterile it needs another pear tree variety nearby to pollinate its flowers. Commonly used are other late pear varieties such as Conference or Abate Fetel, surprisingly good pollinators are also summer varieties Williams, both green and red. It is highly resistant to scab and late frost.

Pear trees form beautiful, mid-sized trees with dense canopies. They are not particularly picky about soil type if the ground is not damp or filled with stones. Adding good compost will help increase crop and the tree will get stronger sooner. Make sure to stake young plants. It is absolutely hardy to -30°C, some sources even rate it hardy to USDA zone 4 i.e. -34°C.

Last update 26-10-2016