Taylor’s Gold is an excellent commercial pear that gets imported from New Zealand off season locally, but apparently has been tried in Oregon and Washington. I think its a club variety, haven’t seen trees available anywhere. But it also should be well off patent, so only the Trademark is likely in the way of growing it at home.
For what it’s worth, I’ve had it answer a question like this in the past for me by calling customer service and asking to relay the question to the horticulturalist. It took some follow-up, but eventually I got the answer. As an aside, I have seen something labeled as ‘Taylor’s Gold’ at a scion exchange in the last year or two, so there’s probably wood in circulation.
I looked thru all my resources Jafar and neither lists a Taylor’s Gold or a Russet Comice. What they do list is Russet Bartlett which I read more about because it is the original Bartlett - just that it was grafted and brought to Mr. Bartlett’s and then named (England I believe.) Come US another pear shows up that is found to be Bartlett again. A name beginning with William.
First though I looked at USDA Grin’s accessions. They don’t list either Russet Comice or Russet Bartlett. They list Taylor’s Gold and do say it’s a sport of Comice.
I always wanted to grow this pearbut never seen it being sold anywhere, must be commercial/club, at least in US and Europe. I think Regal Red Comice (red sport) is at least available in US from GRIN, they made it club in Europe
Edit: I’m typing faster than I’m processing information. I see that Barkslip has just shown me that it is available from the germplasm repository in Corvallis as ‘Doyenne du Comice - Taylor’s Gold’
@murky,
I bought Taylor Gold, together with several other Euro pears, from a Cornell store a few years ago. I like it the least. It could not hold candle to the other varieties I bought.
If I remember correctly, Taylor’s gold is available from Fowler nursery. I agree it is a superb fruit. To me it is better than Harrow Sweet, but I am not so fond of harrow sweet. Perhaps because I always compare HS to Magness and Seckel (I buy them from the same orchard), which are my top two pears.
Interesting. They have the other pear I’m looking for, Bronze Beauty. But its not in their “backyard” catalog. Perhaps only for commercial growers then?
I would still try buying it from them. Some nurseries will still sell the commercial varieties to home growers. Perhaps if you visit them in person, but try first by phone.
Alan, we’re in SW Washington state. We have an extended Winter/Spring/Early summer that is cool, cloudy and rainy. I suspect we’d make pretty Taylor’s Golds.
I got my first Seckel pears from my small tree this year. Those were mostly russetted
My Russet Comice from Raintree also has a tag labeled ‘Taylor’s Gold’. It should be the same pear. It is susceptible to rust, but I do not know how much more or less than other varieties. My Bosc from Burnt Ridge has no rust. My neighbor’s tree 60ish yards away also has rust.
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