Pyrus communis
| Pyrus communis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 43' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Pyrus communis (common name: wild pear)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, it will then usually germinate in mid to late winter. Stored seed requires 8 - 10 weeks cold stratification at 1°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[1]. Temperatures over 15 - 20°c induce a secondary dormancy in the seed[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cultivation: Prefers a good well-drained loam in full sun[2][1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates light shade but does not fruit so well in such a position. Tolerates atmospheric pollution, excessive moisture and a range of soil types, if they are moderately fertile[1], avoiding only the most acid soils[3]. Dislikes very exposed positions[3]. Established plants are drought tolerant[1].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to below -15°c[1].
Plants often sucker and can form dense thickets[3].
A parent of the cultivated pear, possibly by crossing with P. nivalis and P. cordata[4]. There are many hundreds of varieties of cultivated pears and they are widely cultivated in the temperate zone for their edible fruits. By selection of varieties fresh fruits can be obtained from late July to April or May of the following year.
Range: Europe. Naturalized in Britain[5].
Habitat: Hedges, woodland margins etc in Britain[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6][7]. The fruit of wild pears often remains very hard unless bletted[3]. It is more suitable for use in pies etc. The fruit is up to 5cm long[1].
Medicinal: The fruit is astringent, febrifuge and sedative[8].
Usage: A yellow-tan dye is obtained from the leaves[9][10].
Trees are sometimes used as part of a shelterbelt planting[11].
Wood - heavy, tough, durable, fine grained, hard. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot[11]. Used by cabinet and instrument makers[4][12][13][14]. When covered with black varnish it is an excellent ebony substitute[15].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Coon, Nelson. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press, 1975.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.