Does anyone know if and when the Krazulya Pear is available in the United States? Krazulya Pear Tree - Developed in Russia - Hardy zone 3a
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Glad to see this information posted regarding this pear Russian pears for zone 2 - some info I found by @hungryfrozencanuck4b . In 2015 I contacted the usda to find out if the pear was available in the United States yet but it was not at that time. In 2003 Bernie Nikolai a member of NAFEX was working on getting the Russian pear brought into Canada http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex/2003-October/012429.html. According to the most recent post it sounds like progress is underway to bring additional cold hardy pears into the United States. Good quality pears in Alaska will be impressive! The Russians did decades of breeding with harbin pears to develop hardy pear crosses. Sounds like Krazulya is not the best of the new pears. Several of the other varieties may prove to be much better! I am very interested in seeing these pears for other reasons than their cold tolerance. They are said to be highly Fireblight resistant. Fireblight is a big problem on the Canadian prairies according to the articles. It would be nice to have a few pears with additional FB resistance. It would be wonderful if people in colder climates in the US could grow their own backyard pears! Harbin pears are susceptible to pear decline so it is difficult to say if these new hybrids are resistant or not.
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I’m assuming there is no new news regarding the Russian pears being available in the US? I’d sure like to give them a try before I’m too old to see them bear fruit.
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I’ve not heard an update at this point
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Nothing new on these cold hardy Russian pears. These pears are getting to be more widely known in Canada. Alaska may be testing them but that is unconfirmed.
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I currently have a Krasnobokaya scion in the fridge, and hope to receive a Krazulya scion in the next week or so. I sure hope my grafts are successful. I have not found anyone in the lower 48 who is growing these pears.
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Totally bummed. My Krasnobokaya scion was D…E…A…D… when I went to graft it today. The Krazulya scion I was sent was apparently lost by the USPS
I guess I’ll keep trying
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A guy in Alaska
Wow, USPS delivered the Krazulya scion today. It’s wrapped in parafilm, so maybe there’s a chance it still has some life after weeks in God knows what location(s).
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So how did your Krazulya graft Do? I hope it is growing. Sue
No luck. It had been un-refrigerated for too long I guess. I hope to be able to source another Russian pear scion or two for next spring.
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I did get at least one successful graft each from Vavilov (Leningrad research station origin), Waterville, and Sauvignac (all from GRIN) though.
I’m especially interested in watching Vavilov over the long term
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My Krazulya scion lived, but winter will be the test.
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Is the scion still alive?
Yes it did survive, I was surprised. This winter will be another test, it was -30C or more for most of Jan, and Feb. a long extended period of time. But things are looking up we are into the single digits now.
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Excellent! Let us know how it goes!
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Konrad from Canada posted some interesting updates of russian pears on houzz https://www.houzz.com/discussions/lets-talk-about-hardy-pears-dsvw-vd~4134934 and the reviews were not all i hoped they would be
I know, they seem to be average for flavour. My hope is that they would be good to cross with a better pear and then maybe a hardier variety could be found.
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How are the russian pears doing? Figured they are spreading through the usa by now by way of Alaska.
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I got a single Krazulya last year in Fairbanks, but the moose munched on it this winter and no blossoms. It was much larger and superior eating to Early Gold, which is the only remotely edible pear that’s fruited successfully for me here. Vekovaya is blooming again this year and maybe this time will set some fruit.
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