Have a little pear that’s about 5 feet tall and about 7 years old on callery rootstock. Most pears would be 20 feet tall by now soni suspect it’s a harbin cross or domething similar. Asian pears lack vigor like that on the wrong rootstock. Buds are still dormant and it’s much smaller than Seckel. Do you suppose it’s gold spice? What would be smaller than Seckel ?
Might it be the “Doyenne du Comice” variety it’s said to only grow up to 9.8 feet tall at full size, it’s called a miniature variety
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Gold Spice is a small pear- it’s my basic tree. Think 25- 60 watt light bulb for size. They typically blush nicely on the sun side, stay firm if they don’t spoil, not great keepers. Somewhat but not objectionably gritty. They can be eaten off the tree. The (presumably) Seckel pear on the same tree is quite a bit larger -what I have approaches Bartlett in size. I think a true Warden Seckel should be smaller, and I’m not sure if the scions I got from Botner and one other source are really what I wanted.
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Alan,
I know it sounds difficult to do but I can tell it’s not Comice by the dormant wood. The buds are extremely close together and very small. I could be wrong but I have seen close buds with Harbins and a small tree just makes me think it’s gold spice. Gold spice is said to be a harbin cross.
Mark,
Do you have pictures of a dormant gold spice branch? Is the wood a tannish color? I know it sounds a little weird but some pears are red wood, some are tan, and some wood is green etc. . Some wood such as warren pear as an example is green with spikes whereas Douglas is green without spikes. I can tell a lot just by the dormant wood. Worden is actually supposed to be larger than Seckel Worden Pear - #2 by scottfsmith
This is an old print of Worden I located with an internet search. That pear in the print and the pears at Corvallis are identical.
We can definitely rule out Seckel and Worden for this mystery pear but the size must be similar so I really think gold spice is right. What other pear could it be I wonder? To verify my Worden I requested both forelle and Worden wood from Corvallis and my Worden Is Worden.
I’ll get those to you as soon as I can. Might not be until Monday, though, as I’m working today and tomorrow.
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Mark,
This is what the tree looks like. It’s hard to believe but I actually have 3 of these trees.
Years ago I planted a row of pears and 90% of the others produce pears now and many are large trees. This tree in this example is around 5 feet . The tree is partly dwarfed by the poor soil at that location. In my location harrow sweet blooms have not opened yet but are swollen and showing color. This little pear I’m referring to which I believe is gold spice is just showing green tips on the buds. Pears such as Kieffer , Duchess, Douglas have been in full bloom this week. This little pear like harrow sweet is designed for a cold area. I’m growing those types of pears because sometimes it’s cold late in the year and sooner or later it’s going to get my early blossoms and that’s the year I will appreciate these trees. The second the person that grows this pear sees those photos I’m going to know what this pear is because the features are very unique. The second picture from the bottom is particularly telling. These limbs and buds are very small around the size of a pencil lead.
I don’t know if that’s it or not Mark. Those spots on that wood may come with age but it looks like a different pear to me at this point.
Just curious, but what are those symmetrical rows in the background? Is that a blackberry and or raspberry patch?
3 acres of aronias. There is an acre of small pears Back behind those bushes.
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