First harvest from a 7 yr old tree of this variety. Glad I went to check on my pear block and saw a few of these had fallen because half of the remaining crop seemed ready to pick. Ripens very nicely on the tree, they were even delicious off the ground with no sign of core breakdown. Medium textured, melting yet not overly juicy with a wonderful floral citrus spiciness, delicate skin. Aromatic and unique flavor! The tree has a nice willowy growth habit with good crotch angles, very little training required. Clean foliage shows resistance to leaf pests like pbm which have plagued nearby trees. Supposedly self fertile. This one is a winner in my yard and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a tasty summer pear which seems quite grower friendly. .
That’s a very attractive pear!
It is also a very nice looking fruit along with all the other great traits.
This one looks excellent. I searched here and found your post after perusing the pear descriptions at Cummins’ website.
Here’s their description:
Chance seedling discovered by Nicolas Giffard, Foussieres, France, 1825. Introduced to the U.S. about 1850. Flesh: white, tender, and juicy, with a sprightly, vinous flavor, and somewhat of a spicy perfume. The tree is remarkably distinct in its growth, wood, and foliage. These pears ripen early. These need to be picked when still green as they ripen from the inside out. The medium to large fruits, up to 2½ inches long, ripen to yellow-green. They have red blushing and dots. Considered a premium quality pear, this is very aromatic. It is recommended for dessert and eating fresh. The crisp textured flesh is very juicy, melting, and tender. It has a distinctive, rich flavor. The white flesh has yellow tinges. It is fine grained except at the center."
Sold out, of course.
Greetings Jesse, this pear really sounds like a winner, the Beurre Giffard. Nice qualities you’ve listed with its growing habits, the resistance to pests is a plus. Would you know which rootstock the tree is on?
Sincerely, Keith
how hardy is this variety? worth trying in 4a?
sounds worth trying…
Doctor Darrel Bienz, professor emeritus of horticulture at Washington State University, had some additional observations of the hardiness of “Giffard”. He grew up on a ranch near Bear Lake, Idaho (elevation 6,300 feet). The growing season there was short. and the winters were severe. His parents had two pear trees, the only ones for miles around that could survive the winters and ripen fruit. Upon seeing and tasting a “Giffard” pear from Summerland Darrel immediately recognized the fruit as identical to those he had grown up with. The growth habit and leaf shape were likewise the same, so it appears that both those trees were “Giffard”. They survived the hot. dry summer of 1990 without irrigation, and likewise a record breaking -44°F in late December 1990. This spring he successfully grafted two scions from the trees onto seedling pear. They took and are now growing well.
I planted Beurre Gifford this past fall ( 2022 ) and liked your report of its strong survivability in two very extreme weather conditions. What’s it’s overall flavor like?
How the FB resistance?