There has been a fairly new pear released http://www.perduepear.com/. It’s fire blight resistant and supposedly an eating out of hand quality pear. Has anyone tried it?
It sounds like a tree that would be a good candidate to be multi grafted if what they say about its structure is correct .
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I may order one but i’m still thinking it over. It looks like a winner but it would be 20 years to wait until the patent expired before large plantings occurred. It’s about twice the price of other pears right now.
Looks like hype for a private enterprise to gain profit not based on any real research of the pear. If the pear is really outstanding, the money in commercial production is the usual route.
They got someone with a pedigree to say the pear seemed to perform well in someone’s yard. I would not be the first in line to make the Perdue pear the Perdue’s family “road to riches”.
Of course, it could be a great pear, it just hasn’t been thoroughly evaluated yet. That would be a very expensive process, so the fact it hasn’t been done is not proof of any hesitation to submit it to more scientific evaluation beyond the cost.
I’ve read the Hass avocado was a chance seedling grown in someone’s yard that turned out the be perhaps the most enriching patent for a discoverer’s family ever. It turned out to be a great tree for the industry and completely dominates its field.
Here, Harrow Sweet functions as an almost perfect pear with nice spreading branches to go along with its other virtues, including FB resistance. Perhaps its greatest single virtue, besides the quality of the fruit is it’s precocity. Fruit on the third year after planting is common.
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Harrow Sweet sounds like a great late season pear Alan. I’ve not tried it yet. Sounds like I should get one in the ground.
Duchess is just as good to eat, and bigger. Also relatively resistant to the usual pear problems here, but it is not nearly as reliable or precocious in the fruiting department.
Alan,
As you are probably aware I top worked several large trees to Duchesse d’Angouleme. I requested PI 541336 - COR - Pyrus communis Duchesse d’Angouleme Bronzee and PI 541179 - COR - Pyrus communis Duchesse Bronzee from http://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/catalogs/pyrblres.html and will let you know how they do. Scott gave me some information on the Duchesse d’Angouleme when I first discovered it growing in this area at a farm and did not know what it was. If we get to much rain or not enough sun which are both very rare here Duchesse d’Angouleme can be semi bland but still very good. We will see how the Bronzee will do. Harrow Sweet does sound like it’s well worth trying. Thanks
I ate a Duchess off the ground about a week ago that was huge and dead ripe. Although it had ripened entirely on the tree and had been ripe for a while, I’m sure, it was luscious and had plenty enough sugar.
The pear was from a nursery tree with a graft on the central leader 2/3rds of the way up. I knew that Harrow can ripen well on the tree here but this was the first time I’d let a Duchess pear stay on the tree all the way to drop-off ripe.
I have one as part of my pear espalier garden fence that has been bearing for about 5 years. Although H. Sweet is my staple pear for its season, I will save this one.
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Has anyone tried the pear? How did it do?
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" About Perdue Pear Tree
Grows in zones: 6 - 9
The Perdue Pear Tree is a new, patented cultivar that miraculously sprouted from seed at the Perdue family farm in Rosendale, Louisiana. Perdue Pears are of exceptional quality, with a deliciously sweet pear flavor. The Perdue Pear flavor has been described as creamy, sweet, and even reminiscent of the Golden Delicious Apple. The Perdue produces very juicey, sweet pears, and has noticeably less grit cells than traditional southern pears. Perdue Pear fruits are large greenish-yellow pears that have smooth, slightly blotched skin, and a typical pear shape.
In early August, they are ready to eat as firm, green pears but will gradually ripen to a golden brown, soft pear, if preferred. The Perdue Pear Tree is large (20’) with strong limbs that grow at wide angles, and usually don’t require support. The Perdue Pear bears abundant clusters annually and no fire blight has been observed. The L.S.U. horticulturalists believe it to be self-fertile, but a pollinator is recommended for maximum production. (200+ Chill Hours requred) Grows in zones 6-9b."
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I’m curious as to the LSU horticulturalist reference here for the Perdue pear . I see a small sapling for sale for ~$20 in a Louisiana nursery. I light give them a call tomorrow. I could treat it as an expensive scion.
BTW LSU Ag department doesn’t even have a fruit specialist on staff, so no answers there.
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My comment about the LSU Ag not having a fruit tree specialist is directly from a recently retired state agriculturalist. For many decades he has been the face of LSU Ag and still had a Saturday morning radio show.
He tried to find someone for me to speak with about fruit trees and found there isn’t anyone even listed anymore. Their fruit tree publication hasn’t been updated in 30+ years.
Just no commercial farms for their to be interest or money in providing resources for it (citrus further south is the only exception for commercial production). Home gardeners don’t push the button.
LSU does still work with some fruit trees as you may be aware of some of their fig varieties.
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The part that appeals to many people about this pear is the 200 chill hours. This is what the website says
http://www.perduepear.com/
"(Description)
The Perdue Pear is a large pear-shaped pear with a smooth, slightly-blotched skin that is greenish to greenish/yellow in color. The flesh is white, juicy, sweet, and very flavorful, with a noticeable lack of grit cells.
The Perdue Pear Tree is a large tree that is very hardy and sturdy. The limbs grow on a wide angle from the trunk, and usually don’t require support.
Also:
- Bears fruit annually.
- Fire Blight has ever been observed.
- Believed to be a self-pollinator (being tested to
confirm).
- Minimal chill hours required (200+).
- Fruit matures in early August
(continues to ripen/soften after being picked).
- If you are from the South,
this is an "Eating Pear",
not a "Canning Pear"...
Enjoy!!!"
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Along with the comment about fire blight…
I’m wondering if this is just a randomly found tree, perhaps in Louisiana, that someone propagated. It would perhaps explain the LSU reference as maybe someone had a horticulturalist look at it.
Would not be surprised if this happened many years ago.
If my phone call today reveals anything I’ll post.
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Well here you go. Someone created a web page just for this pear and there is a copy of an email from the LSU horticulturalist. It looks like an actual letter from 2007.
As suspected it’s a tree found in someone’s yard and commented on. All the characteristics come from this short message except the chill hours…which I’d only guess is from south Louisiana.
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Almost all of the best trees were just a randomly found seedling or the breeding work of mostly 1 person. Think how much we could accomplish if as a society we put some more work into it. Sometimes we get lucky like i did with the Clark’s crabapple. Having an apple named after me feels great Clark's Crabapple . @SkillCult has really put some work into his apple breeding New Seedling Apples, EIGHT years later! Late October 2019 — SkillCult
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So I’ve been trying to call Mr. Perdue of the Perdue pear. For some reason my android phone dialer crashes every time I dial his number…literally every time. No email available.
The perdue pear web page says it’s patented and Willis Orchards has the exclusive for reproduction. It does show up on the Willis site, though I won’t buy from them.
I found a nursery in Texas that sells it, but I haven’t been able to speak with them.
I did a search for “perdue pear patent” and nothing comes up.
I maay be better off finding someone with Baldwin scion I can buy…
The Texas nursery that lists Perdue has a $19.95 sapling that I was considering getting just for the scion, but it would be nice if I actually could determine whether I can share the wood in coming years.
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Had no problem calling, maybe try him again. He did not answer this late. About
" Our Legacy
Charles E. Perdue, Jr.
(Rosedale, Louisiana)
Working trees on the farm.
Our Team
Charlie Perdue III
(Manager)
225-931-1747
Texas Pecan Nursery
Sam Pollard
(Exclusive Grower/Wholsaler)
903-849-6203
Willis Orchard Co.
(Retail / Online Seller)
1-866-586-6283
http://www.willisorchards.com/product/Perdue+Pear+Tree?category=253
L.E. Cooke Co.
903-849-6203
Our Story
We as a family take great pride in introducing a pear tree that the late
Charles E. Perdue, Jr. grew from seed approximately 30 years ago in Rosedale, Louisiana. The (truly exemplary) fruit produced by this tree inspired us to seek a professional opinion. It was at that time that our family contacted Jimmy Boudreaux, Louisiana State University Professor of the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences. We brought him and his department samples of the fruit. Being very impressed with the taste,
lack of grittiness, no fire blight, and the fact that this pear tree bears
fruit every year, Dr. Boudreaux came to our family home in St. Amant, Louisiana to obtain cuttings from the “Perdue Pear” tree. Since that visit, his department has grafted many Perdue Pear trees and have preserved this unique variety of
a Southern pear tree at L.S.U.’s nurseries in Baton Rouge, and Clinton, Louisiana.
- We have since entered into an exclusive contract with Texas Pecan Nursery to propagate and wholesale distribute the Perdue Pear tree.
* Our tree is now available for retail sale (or online) through
Willis Orchard Company.
* Samples of the Perdue Pear fruit & budwwood have also been sent to L.E.Cooke Co. to be researched by their (in-house) experts.
We truly appreciate the time you have taken to read this information and we hope that you are as interested - as we are proud to introduce "The South’s finest…
“The Perdue Pear”.
Sincerely,
The Perdue Family -
Charles E. Perdue III
"
My phone is possessed. If you ever get to him, ask him if this is a legitimate seller. See below.
The origin of the pear is a town just west of Baton Rouge, roughly my climate. It’s due west of me about 80 miles.
I’d also still like to find the patent info… Just saying it’s patented isn’t a good way to protect it without reference.
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