Is it worth it to grow the Warren pear

Magness is often suggested as a full sibling of Warren.

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@gsims1997

How did your callery trees turn out? Can’t find where we responded to your questions.

This was kicked around for years on the old NAFEx email discussion list. Warren and Magness are both pollen-sterile, and evidently don’t make much in the way of nectar, so are less attractive to bees than most other pears.
Several folks recommended grafting branches of Warren into other fruiting pears (and vice-versa) rather than necessarily having free-standing trees of Warren, as a work-around to get past poor fruiting. I never did that - have one Warren tree in amongst 20 or 30 other pears…though it is at the end of the row. It bears well enough… never enough to require thinning, and certainly never enough fruit load to break limbs like some pears do here.

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@Lucky_P

Half of my Warren is Karl’s favorite aka ewart it works perfect to pollinate it. Karl's Favorite aka Ewart Pear

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Lucky,
This was kicked around a long time before the NAFEX email list started. It was about that time that I stopped participating in the NAEX discussions.
Please see my post #116 in this thread.
TO showed me the tree that he claimed was the original Warren he obtained his scions from but apparently he later admitted to Ram Fishman that he found it at an old abandoned test site. Ram died recently and I never got the full story from him.

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Yes on this thread Magness and Warren sibling pears

This pretty much says it
"

Geography/History

The history of Warren pears is filled with mystery, rumors, and a touch of whimsy. The first written record of the variety was featured in Pomona Magazine in 1986, claiming that Thomas O. Warren had discovered the Warren pear growing on a tree in a friend’s backyard in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 1976. Once the article was released, Warren began to tell a new story of how he found the fruit on a tree beside a post office and USDA soil conservation service office. This rumor remained the primary origin story for quite some time, and many growers in the present-day still retell this story as the pear’s true origins. At some point in the late 20th century, Warren was questioned about the validity of his post office discovery, leading Warren to change the story once again, saying he found the fruits at an old test site of Mississippi State University, where the pear variety magness was once planted. Magness pears were developed from the same cross as Warren pears, the American giant seckel pear and the European comice pear, leading many experts to believe the two pears were the same. Oregon State University eventually disproved this theory, deeming the two cultivars similar, sharing the same parents, but genetically different. Today Warren pears are available in limited quantities through specialty orchards across the United States."

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I was talking to a person at the nursery that sold me the Magness pear. He stated they were siblings. When I asked if they would still pollinate each other if I only had the Warren, Magness and Comice he said he was not sure but he hopes. Do you know if they pollinate each other?

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@elivings1

Use this link Online pollination checker for fruit trees. We do know that these pears listed below work to pollinate Magness. Graft a limb on your Magness and your problems are over.

Magness pear trees

Magness (Pyrus communis) is in flowering group 3. Magness is not self-fertile and needs a pollination partner of a different variety nearby.

Varieties that will pollinate Magness in our catalog

Check pollinators >

An early-season American pear variety, related to Bartlett but with an improved flavor and better storage.

Check pollinators >

A modern fireblight resistant pear, which ripens mid-season, about a week later than Bartlett.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking:

  • Brandy

Check pollinators >

A mid-season English perry pear which produces a low-tannin juice.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Butt

Check pollinators >

Butt is a traditional English perry pear, with medium acidity and medium tannins.

Check pollinators >

A traditional European pear from Belgium, with the classic rich sweet buttery melting flesh. Flemish Beauty is also self-fertile and cold-hardy.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Self-fertile

  • Picking: Mid

  • Gin

Check pollinators >

A rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Very late

  • Harrow Crisp

Check pollinators >

An attractive disease-resistant early-season pear with an orange flushed yellow skin, related to Bartlett and with a similar flavor.

Check pollinators >

Harrow Delight is an early-season Bartlett-style pear with a sweet flavor and good disease-resistance.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Harrow Sweet

Check pollinators >

A disease-resistant heavy-cropping late-season pear with an excellent sweet flavor for eating fresh.

Check pollinators >

A well-known English perry pear variety, and a reliable cropper. Makes a light, low-tannin perry.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Honeysweet

Check pollinators >

Honeysweet is a self-fertile small late-season sweet pear, with buttery flesh, related to Seckel.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Hosuiin stock

Check pollinators >

Hosui has perhaps the best flavor of any Asian pear - it is very juicy and very sweet.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Vigorous

  • Korean Giant

Check pollinators >

Korean Giant has potentially the largest fruits of any Asian pear variety.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Moonglow

Check pollinators >

A high quality early season dessert and culinary pear, very resistant to fireblight.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Good pollinator

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Niitaka

Check pollinators >

Niitaka is an Asian pear variety producing very large crisp russeted fruits.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Mid

  • Potomac

Check pollinators >

Check pollinators >

A natural sport of Clapp’s Favorite pear, also known as Kalle. The pears are deep red color with a sweet flavor, ripening in late summer.

  • Flowering group: 4

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Shenandoahin stock

Check pollinators >

Shenandoah is a late-season Bartlett-style pear, with a rich sweet/sharp flavor.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Semi-vigorous

  • Shinko

Check pollinators >

A classic Asian pear, with large golden brown russeted fruits which have a crisp sweet flesh.

  • Flowering group: 2

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Shinseiki

Check pollinators >

This popular early-season Asian pear variety produces crisp sweet-flavored pears, which can be kept for up to 3 months.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Partially self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Shinsuiin stock

Check pollinators >

A popular and productive early-season Asian pear with a glowing golden brown skin and a sweet flavor.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Vigorous

  • Winnals Longdon

Check pollinators >

A traditional English perry pear variety, which produces a low tannin perry.

Check pollinators >

A popular English perry pear which produces a good quality low-tannin / medium-acid perry.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking:

  • Yoinashi

Check pollinators >

Yoinashi is a mid-season Asian pear, with large golden brown russeted fruits.

  • Flowering group: 3
  • Not self-fertile
  • Picking: Mid

‐-----------------------------------------

What about Doyenne du Comice you might ask?

Pollination of Doyenne du Comice pear trees

Doyenne du Comice (Pyrus communis) is in flowering group 4. Doyenne du Comice is not self-fertile and needs a pollination partner of a different variety nearby.Choose another variety

Varieties that will pollinate Doyenne du Comice in our catalog

Check pollinators >

An early-season American pear variety, related to Bartlett but with an improved flavor and better storage.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Bartlett

Check pollinators >

A classic English pear, easy to grow, and a good flavor.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Partially self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Beurre Bosc

Check pollinators >

A traditional French pear with buttery melting flesh.

  • Flowering group: 5

  • Good pollinator

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Blake’s Pride

Check pollinators >

A modern fireblight resistant pear, which ripens mid-season, about a week later than Bartlett.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking:

  • Brandy

Check pollinators >

A mid-season English perry pear which produces a low-tannin juice.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Butt

Check pollinators >

Butt is a traditional English perry pear, with medium acidity and medium tannins.

Check pollinators >

A traditional European pear from Belgium, with the classic rich sweet buttery melting flesh. Flemish Beauty is also self-fertile and cold-hardy.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Self-fertile

  • Picking: Mid

  • Gin

Check pollinators >

A rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Very late

  • Harrow Crisp

Check pollinators >

An attractive disease-resistant early-season pear with an orange flushed yellow skin, related to Bartlett and with a similar flavor.

Check pollinators >

Harrow Delight is an early-season Bartlett-style pear with a sweet flavor and good disease-resistance.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Harrow Sweet

Check pollinators >

A disease-resistant heavy-cropping late-season pear with an excellent sweet flavor for eating fresh.

Check pollinators >

A well-known English perry pear variety, and a reliable cropper. Makes a light, low-tannin perry.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Honeysweet

Check pollinators >

Honeysweet is a self-fertile small late-season sweet pear, with buttery flesh, related to Seckel.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Hosuiin stock

Check pollinators >

Hosui has perhaps the best flavor of any Asian pear - it is very juicy and very sweet.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Vigorous

  • Korean Giant

Check pollinators >

Korean Giant has potentially the largest fruits of any Asian pear variety.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Moonglow

Check pollinators >

A high quality early season dessert and culinary pear, very resistant to fireblight.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Good pollinator

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Niitaka

Check pollinators >

Niitaka is an Asian pear variety producing very large crisp russeted fruits.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Mid

  • Potomac

Check pollinators >

Check pollinators >

A natural sport of Clapp’s Favorite pear, also known as Kalle. The pears are deep red color with a sweet flavor, ripening in late summer.

  • Flowering group: 4

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Shenandoahin stock

Check pollinators >

Shenandoah is a late-season Bartlett-style pear, with a rich sweet/sharp flavor.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Late

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Semi-vigorous

  • Shinseiki

Check pollinators >

This popular early-season Asian pear variety produces crisp sweet-flavored pears, which can be kept for up to 3 months.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Partially self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Shinsuiin stock

Check pollinators >

A popular and productive early-season Asian pear with a glowing golden brown skin and a sweet flavor.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking: Early

  • Available rootstocks:

  • Vigorous

  • Winnals Longdon

Check pollinators >

A traditional English perry pear variety, which produces a low tannin perry.

Check pollinators >

A popular English perry pear which produces a good quality low-tannin / medium-acid perry.

  • Flowering group: 3

  • Not self-fertile

  • Picking:

  • Yoinashi

Check pollinators >

Yoinashi is a mid-season Asian pear, with large golden brown russeted fruits.

  • Flowering group: 3
  • Not self-fertile
  • Picking: Mid

‐----------------------

Warren Pear Trees are said to be self-fertile. We can as the name implies get fruit with only one plant. It would be very few fruit! The tree is very difficult to pollinate well for whatever reason so I grow mine with Karl’s favorite aka ewart grafted into the same tree which works.

If you went to Warren Pear – Trees of Antiquity you will find this description
The Warren pear tree was named for Thomas O. Warren, a founding father of the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX), who discovered this gem in Mississippi, in 1976. The Warren pear is medium to large, long-necked, drop-shaped fruit is faded green with an occasional red blush in full sun. That said, the Warren pears can vary in size and shape. The pears are rated equal to Magness by many. The Warren pears are sweet, spicy and very juicy, buttery, silky flesh with no grit. Pyramidal tree shape. Fire blight resistant. One of the best for providing a source of pollen to other European pear trees. Please refer below for more information on the Warren pear trees for sale.

OK finally to answer your question almost all pear trees are suitable for pollinating each other as long as they bloom at the same time. Harrow delight might be a better pear for pollination grafted on another for multiple reasons. It’s my opinion avoiding pears with similar genetics is best. Siblings or parents are not good pollinators. They will work in some cases but trees of diverse genetics work better. Magness and Warren are siblings and comice a parent. Someone is going to say it so before they do there is a term called pathenocarpic which applies to comice.
In climates such as California comice may produce fruit with no pears around sometimes. This link mentions it Pollination – Pear | WSU Tree Fruit | Washington State University

I discuss that term here Parthenocarpic Pears

Finally there is a wild card in here that needs discussed which is the callery pear. We know it naturalizes all over the country now and was added to some states invasive lists. It’s highly unlikely you live in an area free from ornamental wild or tame pears and they will pollinate your pear trees. Why if Warren is related to comice would it not be parthenocarpic as well like its parent? The fascinating truth is that it is said to be parthenocarpic on some websites but is also reportedly self pollinating at half the references available. My Warren definately has pollination issues. My crops are very heavy in comparison to what others get but my tree is half ewart aka Karl’s favorite. Ewart pear I grew specifically to pollinate Warren Karl's Favorite aka Ewart Pear . Finally understanding pollination is key which is described here Pollination Requirements - Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

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Warren is carrying a heavier than normal crop. It’s still light in comparison with somr other pears but we trade off production for high quality with this pear!


They need some time to size up

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I would argue that I would rather have a 10/10 pear that I can have few of than a lot of bad pears. Honestly the length of times pears live and the amount a tree can produce will still make it so you can out compete the prices on the grocery store market in the long run. Plus Warren is so disease resistant that you don’t need to spend too much on sprays assuming you have other disease resistant pears to pollinate.

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I planted my warren in 2016 bare root from century farm. It’s about 9-10 ft tall. This is the first year with a decent crop. It has about 30 pears this year. Last year just a couple.

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@barry

That’s a good crop to get 30 pears and a low amount of time to wait!

Ahh … great texture & flavor, low chill, self-fertile, fireblight resistant.

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Warren is loaded this year! Hard to believe i once wondered if it was worth it to grow this pear.



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One of the highest quality if not the highest quality pear i grow this year. Two didnt make it to the house. Today is September 10th.





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Warren makes a good looking pear. I’m impatiently waiting for my two Warren pear limbs to fruit. I have the limbs pulled down but they appear to fruit on their own schedule.

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@Auburn

If they flower but dont produce let me know and we can get you a stick of Karl’s favorite for pollen.

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How long have you had them in the ground?

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I grafted in the warren limbs about 3 years ago.

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@Auburn

When its at its best it can make others look second rate.

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