Magness and Warren sibling pears

Many of you know the story of these two pears others don’t

I’ve posted photos here Is it worth it to grow the Warren pear

Trees of antiquity say this about Magness

"The Magness pear is a soft, juicy dessert pear almost free of grit cells. Introduced by the USDA in 1960’s, it was named in honor of Dr. John R. Magness, long-time director of the USDA’s apple and pear breeding program. Its parents are Comice pear and Seckel pear, not a bad pairing. The Magness pear tree produces medium to large slightly russeted fruit, buttery, rich flesh with honeyed juice, ruddy yellow when ripe, with a highly perfumed flesh of the very best quality. Insect damage seems to be reduced in this variety due to thicker fruit skin. Magness pear is very disease resistant, especially fire blight. The Magness pear tree has an additional bonus trait, ripens to perfection while hanging on the tree. Sterile pollen so needs a pollinizer. Please refer below for more information on the Magness pear tree for sale.

Considerations for Magness Pear Tree

USDA Zones: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Uses: Fresh Eating

Harvest Period: Late

Low Chill: Yes

Bloom Period: Midseason

Pollination Requirement: Requires different variety with same bloom period

Origin Date: 1945 and beyond

Storage: 3 Months or More

Disease Resistance: Excellent

Rootstock: OHxF 87

Recommended Spacing: 12-16 ft.

Mature Size: 12-16 ft.

Water Requirements: 12-15 gallons per week May through Sept."

Edible Lanscaping says this https://ediblelandscaping.com/products/trees/PearsEuropean/WarrenPear.php
"

Warren Pear

pyrus communus x

Warren Pear was named after T O Warren from Hattiesburg, MS. Thought to be a seedling selection from the breeding work of USDA’s fruit breeder Dr. Magness, Beltsville,MD. T O, a fruit explorer, found the tree at a pear test plot near his home and popularized the variety. Warren pear comes from the same seed stock as Magness Pear and is very similar in appearance and disease resistance. Zone 5-8 semi dwarf tree space @ 10’ circles.Estimated Chilling Requirement 600 hours below 45°F USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 - 9 Pollination Self-fruitful. Bloom Season within fruit type. midseason to late midseason. Harvest Season within fruit type midseason. Harvest Dates August 7 to August 27. (approximate for Hickman, CA) 3 weeks later in Virginia. Warren is an excellent quality dessert pear, tree is highly resistant to fire blight. Medium to large, long-necked fruit with pale green skin, sometimes blushed red. Smooth flesh (no grit cells) is juicy and buttery with superb flavor. Good keeper. Cold hardy to -20 deg F. From Mississippi."

Specialty produce say this Warren Pears Information and Facts

Description/Taste

Warren pears are medium to large fruits, averaging 7 to 10 centimeters in diameter, and have a slightly lopsided, pyriform shape with a bulbous base tapering to a short and small, rounded neck. The fruits are heavy and dense, attached to the tree by a thick and fibrous, dark-brown stem. The skin is smooth, thin, and easily punctured, showing many superficial scars, and when ripe, the surface softens, developing a slight give when pressed. The skin also bears variegated hues of green when young, ripening to earthy yellow and brown shades with a red blush when mature. Underneath the surface, the ivory flesh is smooth, tender, aqueous, and melting, without the typical grittiness found in common pear varieties, and contains a thin, central core. Warren pears are subtly aromatic and have a sweet and floral flavor with honeyed notes of vanilla, spice, guava, and pineapple.

Seasons/Availability

Warren pears are available in the late summer through mid-winter.

Current Facts

Warren pears, botanically classified as Pyrus communis, are a rare, American variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The floral fruits were discovered in the Southern United States in the late 20th century, and as rumors swirled around the pear’s true origins, Warren pears quickly gained notoriety as a popular, fresh eating cultivar. Warren pears are highly favored for their soft, juicy texture and complex taste and are especially loved by chefs and pear enthusiasts. Despite their flavorful reputation, Warren pears are not commercially cultivated as each tree takes over five years to bear fruit, significantly delaying production. Warren pears are also deemed challenging to grow due to specific pollination requirements, localizing the variety to specialty orchards as a rare, gourmet cultivar.

Nutritional Value

Warren pears are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation and contain potassium to balance fluid levels, copper to promote bone growth, and vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing. The fruits also provide fiber to stimulate the digestive tract and folate to develop the body’s genetic material.

Applications

Warren pears are best suited for fresh applications as their soft and juicy flesh is showcased when consumed straight, out-of-hand. The pears can be eaten similarly to an apple with the skin on, discarding the core, or it can be sliced and displayed with other fruits on appetizer plates. Warren pears can also be cut for green and fruit salads, blended into smoothies, juiced to flavor cocktails, or used as a topping over oatmeal, ice cream, and pancakes. In addition to fresh preparations, Warren pears can be baked, simmered, or poached. The fruits can be utilized in tarts, pies, cakes, crumbles, and muffins or cooked into jams, jellies, and sauces. Warren pears can also be poached in wine or simple syrup and used for compotes. Warren pears compliment cheeses such as blue, cheddar, manchego, and gouda, nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans, fresh herbs including basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme, salted and cured pork, spices such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, dried fruits such as cherries, cranberries and figs, chocolate, quince, caramel, and honey. Whole, unwashed Warren pears will keep up to five days when stored at room temperature and for two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

Warren pears were once nicknamed the Post Office pear because they were rumored to have been discovered by Thomas Warren growing naturally outside of a post office in Mississippi. Later on, as the variety was established and the rumor was deemed inaccurate, Thomas Warren changed the name of the variety to Warren pear, after his last name. In the modern-day, Warren pears are considered one of the most flavorful American pear cultivars. The variety has been praised by famous chefs, including Alice Waters, and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart for their complex, floral and fruity taste.

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."

3 Likes

Thing about magness is it requires at least 3 cultivar of pears for me I ordered the comice, Warren and magness so hopefully all of those cross. From my understanding I don’t live in a fire blight prone area with my area being so dry so I am lucky that I can do that combination assuming they will cross pollinate each other. I have tried both comice and Warren and will say that compared to Bartlett they are sweetness on steroids. Great if you are like me and like sweet things but there are some who do not have as much of a sweet tooth. Frog Hallow Farm sells Warren if you want to try Warren and Harry and Davis sell their parent the comice

2 Likes

@elivings1

If you want to know more about comice here is a link Question the History of a pear or know some history? Post it here! - #4 by clarkinks and another link for those in fireblight country Comice pear fireblight resistance - #18 by RichardRoundTree

I grow both Magness and Warren pear, and believe they are one and the same variety. I base this on age to come into bearing, appearance and flavor of the fruit, ripening time, appearance and structure of the blossoms.

Also, the parentage of Magness is often misstated. Its parents are Comice and Worden Seckel, the latter a different pear from Seckel. This information was given to me by Dr. Bell, pear breeder for the USDSA.

3 Likes

@Lee

Would have thought the same but we would be incorrect. My understanding is they did testing and determined they are different pears but siblings. They are like twins so close i cannot tell the difference either. Ripening times can be different but not to much different. There pollination also seems different. They are the polar opposite of generous producers! Made me wonder if it was worth it to grow Warren but I did grow it Is it worth it to grow the Warren pear

" Description/Taste

Warren pears are medium to large fruits, averaging 7 to 10 centimeters in diameter, and have a slightly lopsided, pyriform shape with a bulbous base tapering to a short and small, rounded neck. The fruits are heavy and dense, attached to the tree by a thick and fibrous, dark-brown stem. The skin is smooth, thin, and easily punctured, showing many superficial scars, and when ripe, the surface softens, developing a slight give when pressed. The skin also bears variegated hues of green when young, ripening to earthy yellow and brown shades with a red blush when mature. Underneath the surface, the ivory flesh is smooth, tender, aqueous, and melting, without the typical grittiness found in common pear varieties, and contains a thin, central core. Warren pears are subtly aromatic and have a sweet and floral flavor with honeyed notes of vanilla, spice, guava, and pineapple.

Seasons/Availability

Warren pears are available in the late summer through mid-winter.

Current Facts

Warren pears, botanically classified as Pyrus communis, are a rare, American variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The floral fruits were discovered in the Southern United States in the late 20th century, and as rumors swirled around the pear’s true origins, Warren pears quickly gained notoriety as a popular, fresh eating cultivar. Warren pears are highly favored for their soft, juicy texture and complex taste and are especially loved by chefs and pear enthusiasts. Despite their flavorful reputation, Warren pears are not commercially cultivated as each tree takes over five years to bear fruit, significantly delaying production. Warren pears are also deemed challenging to grow due to specific pollination requirements, localizing the variety to specialty orchards as a rare, gourmet cultivar.

Nutritional Value

Warren pears are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation and contain potassium to balance fluid levels, copper to promote bone growth, and vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing. The fruits also provide fiber to stimulate the digestive tract and folate to develop the body’s genetic material.

Applications

Warren pears are best suited for fresh applications as their soft and juicy flesh is showcased when consumed straight, out-of-hand. The pears can be eaten similarly to an apple with the skin on, discarding the core, or it can be sliced and displayed with other fruits on appetizer plates. Warren pears can also be cut for green and fruit salads, blended into smoothies, juiced to flavor cocktails, or used as a topping over oatmeal, ice cream, and pancakes. In addition to fresh preparations, Warren pears can be baked, simmered, or poached. The fruits can be utilized in tarts, pies, cakes, crumbles, and muffins or cooked into jams, jellies, and sauces. Warren pears can also be poached in wine or simple syrup and used for compotes. Warren pears compliment cheeses such as blue, cheddar, manchego, and gouda, nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans, fresh herbs including basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme, salted and cured pork, spices such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, dried fruits such as cherries, cranberries and figs, chocolate, quince, caramel, and honey. Whole, unwashed Warren pears will keep up to five days when stored at room temperature and for two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

Warren pears were once nicknamed the Post Office pear because they were rumored to have been discovered by Thomas Warren growing naturally outside of a post office in Mississippi. Later on, as the variety was established and the rumor was deemed inaccurate, Thomas Warren changed the name of the variety to Warren pear, after his last name. In the modern-day, Warren pears are considered one of the most flavorful American pear cultivars. The variety has been praised by famous chefs, including Alice Waters, and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart for their complex, floral and fruity taste.

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. The Warren pears featured in the article photograph above were grown at Frog Hollow Farm, located in Brentwood, Northern California.
"

2 Likes

See if you can tell the difference.


That’s correct top 2 are Magness and bottom 3 are Warren

1 Like

Can’t on yours, but easily can on the grafts I have here. Magness leaves are distinctly larger than Warren and a slightly different color.

1 Like

@Fusion_power

Have several trees of magness from different sources as they are frequently mislabeled. Warren came from the usda. They are very difficult to tell apart even when they fruit.

My scionwood was from Lucky. Does your Magness leaf out just a little bit faster than Warren? There is not much difference, but maybe 3 days faster growth on Magness.

1 Like

I have to say that as a person who is not a fruit expert I could not tell the difference. While my Seckle is not leafed much I looked at my Comice, Warren and Magness pear leaves. The leaves are small so hard to tell the difference. The one with the bush and fence is labeled Comice, the one with the driveway is labeled Magness and the one with the rock is labeled Warren. IMG_0219 IMG_0220 IMG_0221

1 Like

@Fusion_power

Yes Magness tends to green up a day or so faster yes. In addition it’s much more prone to fireblight I’m told but I’ve not seen it personally yet.

1 Like

Both are rated as extremely fire blight resistant. The CSU extension has a fire blight spreadsheet on one of their articles for pears and apples. CSU rates both Warren and Magness as extremely fire blight resistant while Bartlett is rated and non resistant for example. In fact to my understanding both pears are highly disease resistant. Like others the Magness and Warren are extremely similar from the sounds of it.

1 Like

@elivings1

Yes but contrary to belief Magness does not have the resistance of Warren which people in the south find out.

1 Like

Either my Magness is not Magness or my Warren is not Warren. Worse, both could be mislabeled. The risk I take from scion exchanges.

My Warren’s leaves and Magness leaves don’t look the same. Magness leaves appear longer.

Magness took 3 years after grafting to flower and fruited. Warren took 7 years to flower and did not set a single fruit.

1 Like

I’m fairly confident that my Warren is indeed Warren.
The tree that I grafted as Magness (I don’t remember who sent me the scions), some 20+ yrs ago, has yet to make a pear, and it’s a BIG tree… so who knows it if’s actually Magness or not.

2 Likes

I have 2 Magness on quince, growing well. Both got fireblight on nearly all blossom clusters even with vinegar sprays on open blossoms. Had copper and dormant oil during winter. Wondering if worth keeping the trees. Warren hasn’t bloomed yet.

1 Like

Thats sucks to hear. I just planted 5 on quince too.

1 Like

In the horticultural literature, vinegar sprays have been shown to minimize bacterial canker infections and no effect in controlling firelight.

2 Likes

I have streptomycin but have not opened the bag yet. Trying to avoid using it. At least my Potomac and Asian pears are fireblight free so far.

It’s considered Organic.

2 Likes