Jilin Asian Pear Color Mystery

Hello everyone,

Got a fun mystery that might be worth chatting about. Three years ago I received the “Jilin” cultivar from the USDA and grafted it onto two OHF333 rootstocks for planting. The same stick made both grafts.

I’ve never noticed a difference between the trees until this year. They are right next to each other for an espalier project.

Take a look



They’ve been like this all growing season. Leaves look identical, growth habit is identical, only the color is different and they’ve expressed those shades since May without any obvious stresses from the environment.

On the green leaved Jilin there’s one single maroon leaf. On the maroon leaved Jilin all leaves are maroon.

Anybody have any thoughts?

-Kevin

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Don’t have that actual variety, but I have other chinese varieties and they get red leaf like that. Not anything to worry about and I like the look.

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I like the look too. I’m fascinated by it more than anything. Mother Nature being crafty.

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Maybe its a chimera, or the red leaf is a bud sport. But I wouldn’t expect the bud sport to affect both.

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