Bartlett Pear, Pyrus communis, ‘Bartlett’, Tree Seeds
Hardy, Early Spring Flowers, Edible Fruits, Fall Color, Fast Growth, Espalier, Shade Tree, Street Tree, Cold Tolerant, Adaptable, Bonsai
This is the standard summer pear with early season yellow-green, white fleshed sweet and tender fruit. Great fresh or canned.
A medium sized, upright growing tree to 30 feet tall, generally 8 to 18 feet in cultivation. Leaves are elliptic/ovate with acute tips, with finely serrate or entire margins, 2 to 4 inches in length. Flowers are about 1 inch in diameter with white petals, and similar to apple except for having longer pedicels. The inflorescence is corymbose, containing 5 to 7 flowers (also different from apple).
As in apple, the fleshy edible portion is derived from hypanthium tissue. There are 5 central seed cavities, usually bearing 2 seeds each as in apple. The flesh contains grit cells (termed brachysclereids), which are thick-walled, lignified cells that give the characteristic European pear flesh texture. Pears are thinned to 1 to 2 fruit per spur, spaced 6 inches apart.
