Fruit Tree Planner

Anjou / D'Anjou is very sweet with low acidity, with soft, juicy flesh and large fruit. In this group, it gives some of the largest fruit and feels more substantial than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating, baking, and long useful kitchen storage, but skip it if you want the softest buttery dessert pear or the crunch of an Asian pear. It usually ripens around early to mid September, in the middle of this group.

Bartlett is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and large fruit. In this group, it is one of the softer, juicier choices, so it leans more toward fresh eating than long holding. Choose it for fresh eating, canning, and the standard dessert-pear experience, but skip it if you want baking jobs where a firmer pear is easier to hold together. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Bosc is very sweet with low acidity and real depth, with firm, dense flesh and medium fruit. In this group, this is one of the sweetest and richest picks. Choose it for baking, poaching, and sliced cooked pear dishes, but skip it if you want the juiciest fresh-eating pear straight off the counter. It usually ripens around early to mid September, in the middle of this group.

Chojuro is very sweet with low acidity and real depth, with juicy flesh with moderate firmness and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the sweeter, lower-acid choices. Choose it for fresh eating and crunchy Asian pear snacks, but skip it if you want soft dessert-pear texture or long simmered cooking uses. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Comice is very sweet with low acidity and real depth, with soft, buttery flesh and large fruit. In this group, it is one of the softer, juicier choices, so it leans more toward fresh eating than long holding. Choose it for fresh eating and premium dessert-pear harvests, but skip it if you want poaching, baking, or a firmer kitchen pear. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Hosui is very sweet with low acidity and real depth, with juicy flesh with moderate firmness and large fruit. In this group, it gives some of the largest fruit and feels more substantial than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating and big crunchy Asian pears, but skip it if you want soft European-pear texture or long simmered pear desserts. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Kieffer is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, it is one of the firmest choices, so it handles baking, slicing, or holding its shape better. Choose it for canning, baking, preserves, and tough low-fuss plantings, but skip it if you want a melting dessert pear for eating out of hand. It usually ripens around mid to late September, later than most of the others shown.

Patten is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the softer, juicier choices, so it leans more toward fresh eating than long holding. Choose it for fresh eating, canning, and northern home orchards, but skip it if you want growers chasing luxury dessert texture or Asian-pear crunch. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Potomac is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. Choose it for fresh eating and disease-conscious home orchards, but skip it if you want a huge canning pear or very crisp Asian-pear texture. It usually ripens around early to mid September, in the middle of this group.

Seckel is very sweet with low acidity, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. In this group, it is one of the sweeter, lower-acid choices. Choose it for fresh eating, preserves, and growers who care more about flavor than size, but skip it if you want big slicing fruit or large, firm canning pears. It usually ripens around early to mid September, in the middle of this group.

Shinko is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with very crisp, firm texture and large fruit. In this group, it is one of the firmest choices, so it handles baking, slicing, or holding its shape better. Choose it for fresh eating and a firm crunchy pear with better keeping quality, but skip it if you want soft buttery texture or a pear that melts down quickly when cooked. It usually ripens around early to mid September, in the middle of this group.

Golden Spice is tart-forward with sharp acidity, with firm, dense flesh and small fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for preserves, canning, and cold-climate kitchen use, but skip it if you want a big melting dessert pear for fresh eating. It usually ripens around mid to late September, later than most of the others shown.

Parker is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the softer, juicier choices, so it leans more toward fresh eating than long holding. Choose it for fresh eating and cold-climate dessert pears, but skip it if you want very large fruit or a firmer kitchen pear. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Summercrisp is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with medium-firm flesh and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the earliest ripening choices. Choose it for fresh eating in cold climates and early pear harvests, but skip it if you want a melting ripe pear or a deep richly perfumed dessert fruit. It usually ripens around early to mid August, earlier than most of the others shown.

Ure is lightly sweet with a definite tart edge, with firm, dense flesh and small fruit. In this group, it is one of the firmest choices, so it handles baking, slicing, or holding its shape better. Choose it for canning, preserves, and very cold-climate reliability, but skip it if you want large dessert pears with soft buttery texture. It usually ripens around mid to late August, in the middle of this group.

Gourmet is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. Choose it for fresh eating and hardy-climate dessert pears, but skip it if you want the crunch of an Asian pear or a firmer baking pear. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Luscious is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for fresh eating and cold-climate dessert pears, but skip it if you want a firmer poaching pear or the snap of an Asian pear. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Juicy Jewel is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with juicy flesh with moderate firmness and medium fruit. Choose it for fresh eating and easy backyard Asian-pear snacking, but skip it if you want dense cooking pears or deeper old-fashioned pear perfume. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.

Olympic / Korean Giant is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with very crisp, firm texture and very large fruit. In this group, this is one of the richest-tasting options. Choose it for fresh eating and giant crunchy pears, but skip it if you want soft buttery dessert texture or gentle poaching fruit. It usually ripens around mid to late September, later than most of the others shown.

Shinseiki / 20th Century Type is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with very crisp, firm texture and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the firmest choices, so it handles baking, slicing, or holding its shape better. Choose it for fresh eating and reliable backyard Asian pear harvests, but skip it if you want the deepest perfume or the richest dessert-pear character. It usually ripens around mid to late August, earlier than most of the others shown.

Twentieth Century / Nijisseiki is very sweet with low acidity, with juicy flesh with moderate firmness and medium fruit. In this group, it is one of the sweeter, lower-acid choices. Choose it for fresh eating and approachable home-garden Asian pears, but skip it if you want the biggest richest Asian pear or a soft European pear. It usually ripens around late August to early September, in the middle of this group.