Pyrus communis

Lore & Background

The cultivated common pear (P. communis subsp. communis) is thought to be descended from two subspecies of wild pears, categorized as P. communis subsp. pyraster and P. communis subsp. caucasica, which are interfertile with domesticated pears. Archeological evidence shows these pears were collected from the wild long before their introduction into cultivation, according to Zohary and Hopf. Although they point to finds of pears in sites in Neolithic and Bronze Age European sites, reliable information on pear cultivation first appears in the works of the Greek and the Roman writers. Theophrastus, Cato the Elder, and Pliny the Elder all present information about the cultivation and grafting of pears. Common pear trees are not quite as hardy as apples, but nearly so. They require some winter chilling to produce fruit. For best and most consistent quality, common pears are picked when the fruit matures, but before they are ripe. Fruit allowed to ripen on the tree often drops before it can be picked, and in any event will be hard to pick without bruising. Pears store and ship well in their mature but unripe state if kept cold, and can be ripened later, a process called bletting. Some varieties, such as Beurre d'Anjou, ripen only with exposure to cold. Fermented pear juice is called perry.

Reader's Guide

Pyrus communis holds a central place in temperate horticulture as the foundational species for most pear cultivars grown in Europe, North America, and Australia. Its domestication involved selection from wild subspecies, with cultivation documented by ancient Greek and Roman writers. The species' adaptability and the practice of harvesting fruit before ripening—allowing storage and controlled ripening through bletting—enabled its widespread commercial success. The cultivar 'Bartlett' (Williams) dominates global production, representing about 75% of US pear output. Despite the importance of P. communis in Western regions, East Asian pear cultivation relies on other species, such as Nashi pear and Chinese white pear. The species also contributes to the production of perry, a fermented beverage, and its wood and fruit have sustained agricultural economies for centuries. Its legacy is evident in the limited number of cultivars—only about 20–25 European types—that account for virtually all commercial pears in the West, underscoring the species' enduring impact on global fruit production.

Did You Know?

• Pyrus communis is native to central and eastern Europe, and western Asia.
• The cultivated common pear is thought to be descended from two wild subspecies: P. communis subsp. pyraster and P. communis subsp. caucasica.
• Reliable information on pear cultivation first appears in the works of Theophrastus, Cato the Elder, and Pliny the Elder.
• 'Bartlett' (Williams) is the most common pear cultivar in the world, representing about 75% of US pear production.