Pineapple Pear Tree

If you have tried to grow pears, and found it difficult, then we have something special for you. Heirloom trees have far more taste than modern pears, and for a unique taste from a tree that is very easy to grow, the Pineapple Pear can’t be beaten. The delicious tropical flavor, with overtones of tangy, sweet pineapple, is something very special that you only find in this variety, which is never sold in stores. That rich flavor is combined with the crunch of an Asian pear, and for eating like an apple, or cooking into delicious preserves and desserts, you will love this tree. When we tell you that it is also highly resistant to the deadly fire-blight disease, grows especially well in the South, and is self-pollinating, you can now see what an amazing tree this is. As well, if you already have a pear tree that never fruits well, the Pineapple Pear Tree will change all that, bringing bumper crops to any tree it grows near.

Growing the Pineapple Pear Tree

Size and Appearance

The Pineapple Pear Tree is a vigorous and resilient deciduous fruit tree, growing 18 to 20 feet tall, and over 12 feet wide, with an upright profile. It is also long-lived, and trees last for many decades. The smooth, glossy, oval leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, and give the tree a full, attractive and ornamental crown. In spring, with the first new leaves, this tree is covered with a beautiful display of white flowers, in clusters all along the branches. These flowers resemble apple-blossoms, with five open petals, and they can be up to 1½ inches across. A tree in bloom is a lovely sight in any garden.

Within a few short years of planting you will see your first pears, and since this tree is self-fertile, it doesn’t need another variety nearby to carry a good crop of fruit. At first you will see clusters of small green miniature pears developing. As early as July, and certainly by August they will be fully ripe. The fruit is large, with a classic pear shape, and a yellow skin with a red blush on one side when fully ripe. Pick one and bite into it. The fruit is crisp and crunchy, like an Asian pear, but sweet and delicious, with a unique pineapple flavor found in no other pear. The fruit stores well – keep it in a cool, dry place – and it is excellent for using in the kitchen for baking and for preserves.

Hardiness, Disease Resistance and Pollination

The Pineapple Pear Tree is hardy in zone 5 and all the way into zone 8. It is especially useful in the South, because it needs only 150 hours of cold in winter to mature its flower buds. Most varieties need much more, and they will not grow well in warm climates.

As well, pear trees, especially in the South, are very prone to injury and death from ‘fire blight’, a deadly bacterial disease that most pears are very susceptible to. The Pineapple Pear Tree is very resistant to that disease, and in trials it has always been the ‘last tree standing’ when all the other varieties around it have died.

This tree is self-fertile, so you need no other pear trees nearby for it to carry a big crop. This makes it ideal for a smaller garden, where you only have room for one tree. As well, it is an excellent pollinator, able to pollinate a wide range of other pear varieties. If you already have a pear tree that isn’t bearing well, with the Pineapple Pear Tree nearby it will now carry a huge crop. As well, other varieties nearby will make the Pineapple Pear carry an even bigger harvest – a real win-win.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For best results grow the Pineapple Pear Tree in full sun. It will grow in any well-drained soil, doing best in deep, sandy soil, but also growing well in heavier clay soils in warmer areas. Mulch over the roots with compost each year to conserve moisture and feed your tree.

Maintenance and Pruning

This vigorous tree will normally stay free of pests, and it is resistant to disease, so it is relatively easy to grow well. Prune in late winter to keep the branches open and spread out, allowing light and air to circulate through the tree. If you have a heavy crop of baby pears it is best to remove some, leaving only one or two at each cluster, and spacing the clusters 6 to 8 inches apart. You will have fewer fruits, but they will be much larger and of far better quality.

History and Origin of the Pineapple Pear Tree

When Commodore Matthew Perry, of the US Navy, opened Japan to trade with America in 1854, he had a large fleet with him. One of the officers had an interest in fruit, and it seems he brought back with him a pear tree. Plants of this tree were later found in gardens scattered across the South, and by 1888 it was already being noted for its vigor, reliability and unique fruit. In the 1920s, H.P. Stuckey, the director of the Georgia Agricultural Experimental Station, took pieces from an old tree of this variety growing in the garden of a relative, Mrs. Benjamin Nelson Stuckey of Nesmith, South Carolina, for pear trials at the Station. He was the first to notice its resistance to fire blight and he became an enthusiastic promoter of it, endorsing the Pineapple Pear Nursery and Orchard Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Studies have shown that this tree is a hybrid, between the European pear, Pyrus communis, and the Asian pear, Pyrus pyrifolia. This accounts for its vigor and the unique qualities of the fruit.

Buying the Pineapple Pear Tree at The Tree Center

We love being able to offer unique heirloom varieties of plants, along with the most modern forms, so that everyone can find exactly what they want. The Pineapple Pear Tree really is unique, and a piece of American fruit-growing history. Difficult to find, our stock will not last long, as fruit enthusiasts are always seeking these special heirloom trees. Order yours now, while stocks last.