I am growing it as it was planted by previous homeowner. Not sure of age, maybe about about 5, but it is old enough to have out grown peach leaf curl. I was ready to take it out last year as it had no blooms and I was convinced it would be problematic.
Imagine my delight when it produced about ten delicious peaches. I added a Salish Summer this year as I am now a believer . I don’t know much about peaches but was told the variety resembles Red Haven in flavor.
After tasting a Frost pear, I planted a tree in 2021. The Frost Ranch where it was found is about 5 miles from our place. My friend’s tree is 10 years old. It is a smaller tree and shy-bearer.
Do you have photos of your tree or information about the pears ripening time, size of fruit, etc… looking forward to this variety! The fact that you tasted the fruit and planted a tree means a lot. My long time fruit growing friend @marknmt highly recommends this variety so that means a lot. @Auburn like you I like the sounds of it so far! Thankfully the Frost family discovered it we don’t want the variety lost. At some point if it’s a unique variety we proably should share scions with the USDA. There is a lot left to know about this pear but it sounds like a winner.
@clarkinks … I will take some photos of my friend’s mature tree and his fruit. My tree is yet a baby. I can probably get permission from the Frosts for pictures of the original tree.
Western Montana has experienced the coldest spring in 75 years. We are still planting . It will be a full week before I can get to it
Clark… thanks for inquiring. The planting is finally finished. We had a rough spring weatherwise and otherwise. The temperatures have risen and the rivers and streams too.
I seem to have escaped the wretched FB… only had one small spot. The cold spring wasn’t all bad. A few cultivars had spotty pollination due to weather. Everything except the hay is a couple of weeks late but we look to have a window of clear and dry weather this coming week.
I have not forgot about the Frost pear. Still thinning apples like crazy.
What do you know about Douglas pear? I purchased a couple trees from Gurneys in the 90’s and one of them is supposed to be a Douglas. Whatever I have is a great cultivar. Blossoms early yet survives freezing temperatures, never gets FB, crispy and not overly sweet, stores well if handled correctly. I will post pictures in the fall.
Thanks for the link. The descriptions read a lot like my pear. Especially the ones about taste. Compared to the pictures, our pear has a slight difference in shape.
“This selection was discovered on an old ranch in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The old veteran was planted nearly 100 years ago and continues to win the “Blue Ribbon” at our county fair. The canopy is upright, vigorous and disease resistant. The fruit ripens in late September and is quite large, similar to Bartlett in size and shape, with sweet, juicy melting flesh. We are still trying to identify this variety and assigned the ranch name “Frost” with this treasure until positive ID is established. A favorite here and recommended for Western Montana.”
Have several trees now so we will have to wait and see how frost likes Kansas. This is where thats at close to idaho Bitterroot Valley - Wikipedia
Technically that could be anything from zone 4a to 6 i think.