Since we discovered the poor little overgrown pear tree last year and each simultaneously took a bite from the only two (non-rotten…there were two that were past) fruit on the tree, I’ve been on a mission to identify the cultivar. At first I thought it was a Forelle but now I realize that it has many of the characteristics (including small, basically round) except the color scheme is ‘backward’ with green dots over a red and green background. Also, I’ve never seen a Forelle since with a reddish swirl/tint inside. She made this photo the other day so I thought I’d better post it. Any ideas out there? This thing is de-lish.
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Might be Seckel.
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Yes, it could be. The inside reddishness is a bit mysterious, but I just realized, reading about a certain pear that can be a bit reddish inside ‘when ripe’ (Forelle, I’ve never had one home grown) that I’m not used to getting home-grown, picked-when-perfect fruit, being brand new to orcharding. It sure looks like a Seckel and wow…sweeeeet. I have a 2nd leaf Seckel (no fruit yet) but I’m still trying to talk my friend into trading scions, from Comice or ? (just in case) but their orchard area is really her daughter’s realm, and I’ve given her a few trees…she owes me…haha. Thanks!
(Edit: Also, the description of Seckels always says crisp, firm, etc., these are not.)
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I don’t remember mine being crisp or firm. Maybe I’m eating them too late or my memory is off.
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You have an excellent resource nearby in the Home Orchard Society.
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Seckel definitely ripens to a smooth soft consistency. It may be crisp if its under ripe but that would be the only way its firm. I sure don’t ever remember seeing even a trace of red in it though maybe some one else can comment.
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I sure do like the looks and sounds of it! It sure seems like a good one! @derekamills may be able to identify it. He grows some red fleshed pears.
Does the tree have a graft union?
Ongoing saga…my lady friend brought in a bunch of them today, some to share with friends and some to give to me and since she has this annoying habit of picking things too early, come to find out these units are crunchy (and not so sweet…why does she do that??) when they aren’t quite ripe. They are red tinted and red centered though, just like in the photo. There are many on the tree so it’s been brought back to decent health. Conclusion = a lot like a red tinted Seckel.
When I attempt to get an ID on the rescue apple that I’ve managed to graft onto several rootstocks (that tree has also come back from the brink) sometime in the Fall when I make a trip north to the Home Orchard Soc. meeting, I’ll describe this pear as best I can and see what the experts have to say. I hope I don’t get an ID on the apple 'cuz these folks really know their stuff and if they can’t figure it out I’m going to call it a sport, give it a name and get rich and famous…or not…but I’ll at least give it a name. I’ve eaten a few of them over the last few days; they are far from ripe and yet there is not a hint of tartness. The only two I’ve ever eaten, when the tree was suffering but the fruit was basically ripe, were like apple-flavored marshmallows.
Thanks for the responses. I have so much to learn, but I’m enjoying it.
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Good question re: the graft line. I might see it sometime this week and maybe be able to do a budding swap and I’ll get a good look at it. I’m concluding at this point that it’s essentially Seckel-like with a reddish tint and center…odd but very pretty. When ripe, very sweet. I’m a bit leery thinking about sticking a bud on that tree from my 2nd leaf (for me) Comice which has evidence of some curse…maybe Psylla, maybe contagious ?? I should probably get a bud stick from her and make sweet promises to bring some nice things out there in the Spring.
Fruitnut:
I suspect the ‘crisp and firm’ are grocery store units. The ones we had before (very ripe) were not, some of the ones she brought today were almost hard, and not nearly as sweet. She picks blueberries when they are purple, she has a problem…haha.
Edit: this just in…Come to find out most pears are picked ‘early’ and then cold stored and then regular stored, in order to ripen correctly. Julie’s ‘problem’ fits well with pears.
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Seedy,
My suspicion is it’s a pear called blutbirne. I know @derekamills grows joeys red flesh which is reported to be the same pear but that has not been confirmed. See if these look like your pear https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?accid=%20PI+617584 . If not it’s likely one of these http://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/catalogs/pyrredflesh.html . I would have told you my suspicion of the variety earlier but figured someone growing it would comment and you could confirm it easier by time of ripening , leaf appearance etc… Rotkottig frau Ostergotland was my second guess https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?accid=%20PI+295094
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Excellent sleuthing…this has opened a new door. Come to find out there is a place called Territorial Road Orchard right close by that, well here’s an article: http://www.localharvest.org/territorial-road-orchard-M28413
and they have Summer Blutbirne pears (and so much more) and they bring them (most likely ripe) to the Corvallis Farmer’s market which means I could procure one if I get there early enough. Re: the amazing variety of interesting similar pears, I definitely want to add to my ‘two of this, two of that’ current setup but I gotta try to be realistic (not my strong suit) about establishing the basics first. I know that the pear my friend has is superb when at its best, so I’m going to try to get a bud stick from her now (and make some photos) and/or a scion in late Winter and go from there. Thanks!
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My impression is that blutbirne is only general name for these red pulp pears. In my country we call them the same and some ripen in the summer while others in autumn. They are small, quite sweet and get mushy very fast.
Also the stalk and core is pretty big compared to the pulp. Yours looks like it has more pulp with smaller stalk and more pinkish color so it might be some chance seedling of blutbirne and other pear but that’s just my guess
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What you describe is what I have found, as well. Also, as in your photo, they are (mostly) spherical. Maybe on Saturnday I can sample the variety from a local orchard that has them, and maybe gain some new info, as well. One site where I found them they are described as ‘high maintenance’…I’m not really looking for that. They are very sweet.
Over the years, I’ve had two different red-fleshed pears in my collection - Summer Blood Byrne (blutbirne?) and Rottkottis Frau Ostergotland. Fireblight took out both before they ever fruited here.
Things that make ya go hmmmm… My friend lives in an unusual situation that I refer to as Shangri-La because her land is nestled in a ‘mountain’ valley in the coast range in western OR, which puts her in a very pristine environment and a very mild environment. They do get a lot of rain. When she bought the land she was told that there was an orchard, but it ended up being completely abandoned and overgrown. I doubt that anything has ever been sprayed with anything and yet, when the orchard was discovered and cleared, all the trees went from feeble to semi-vigorous, and it’s up and running…not completely pest-free, but functional. I wonder if I should (if it’s a good idea to) ever graft anything I have to anything she has, because I don’t want to be Vector Zero. And some things, like the blutbirne might be a ‘disease magnet’ in my little plot but not be a problem at her place. I’m not sure it works that way but I’ve seen that term used.
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Other red fleshed pear possibilities include Verbelu which this picture looks like to me and is the best one of the red fleshed pears I grow.
Then there is Rotkottig Frau Ostergotland
Sanguinole which is also a possibility for the images posted
Summer Blood Birne
Cocomerina
Blutbirne
Joey’s Red Flesh which as already mentioned is probably the same as Blutbirne
Bloodpeer
Offenbacher Rote
Derek
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Amazing variety. One of the pages that repeatedly came up when I looked at different cultivars was: NCGR-Corvallis Germplasm Collections. Corvallis is the closest town of any size near me. I really have to do something about that. Maybe volunteer at their orchards?
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USDA Corvallis is the “center of the universe” for growing pears in America. If I were you, I would be begging them to allow you to visit. They host the nation’s GRIN collection of pear varieties.
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I have a friend who loves to fish and be outdoorsy, and he has volunteered with the Fish and Wildlife Dept. It is a cool way to ‘get inside.’ Word on the street is that sometimes the Ag/Hort people have test plants that they just give away because, let’s say, they have 100 exotic pear cultivars, 5 each of 20 kinds, and have decided the best ones to grow here and…now what…they NEED someone like me to help make space for the next experiment. This really happens there. And they have lots of everything. Including my latest ‘focus’ which is Hazelnuts (Oregon is the top producer in the US). Which the critters just completely removed from the (native) trees on my land when I started doing it…like when I was out there, they came running…dang.
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